The price of happiness
by NightLark
Summary: When Jeremy was kidnapped by a rogue vampire, they turned to the one person they knew would be able to get him back. Elijah. However, everything comes at a price and this time the price is their daughter.
1. Preface

-1**A/N: Elena****'****s parents (adopted) have had their son****'****s life threatened by a psycho vamp. They find the one person who will be able to help them, Elijah. But everything comes at a price and in this case the price is their adopted daughter.**

There was a quiet knock on my hotel door. I put down the glass of red wine I'd been immersed in.

"Enter" I called. The door swung open and in came a man and a woman, the woman was holding a small girl in her arms (asleep, thankfully). Yes, I remembered. They'd contacted me an hour ago, seeking help. Their plight interested me. I was also amused that they'd choose me to come to for help.

"Yes?"

"I'm Grayson Gilbert. We spoke on the phone"

"Yes. So, Mr Gilbert, what can I do for you?"

"Our son has been kidnapped by a vampire. We want you to rescue him"

"Why? Vampires are my kind, why should I aid you?"

"We'd be willing to pay you anything you want for this service"

"Money is of little interest to me. Immortality allows time to develop ample wealth"

"Please…help us" begged the woman. I regarded them coldly, my eyes finally coming to rest on the girl in her arms.

"How old is she?"

"She's three" said the woman, clutching her daughter closer. I rose to my feet.

"Very well, I have decided on the terms required for me to help you. I will get your son back, and eradicate the vampire who took him" I saw the hope on their face and smiled to myself "However, I will require something from you in return"  
"We told you, we'll do anything" my smile widened.

"Good. I want your daughter"

"What?" gasped the woman.

"Your daughter. I want her. Not now. When she's older" I reached out and stroked the girl's hair. Her mother flinched away, drawing her daughter away from me. I shrugged "Of course, if you don't want my help…"

"We do…it's just a hard choice"

"I understand. Your daughter or your son. Though I must say, she doesn't outwardly resemble either of you"

"She was adopted" the man admitted.

"Ah. That explains it. So…you have until midnight to make a decision. I will have my witch hold this vampire still until then. After that, the boy is his"

"If we did give you Elena…what would you do with her?"

"Keep her. She'd be perfectly safe here" I promised "And if you do agree, I will protect your family until she comes of age" I turned away to let them decided. They whispered together.

"Okay. We'll do it" said the man. The woman was in tears. I smiled.

"Excellent. You may leave. Your son will be returned to you very soon" I disappeared. It would be an easy task to track the vampire. He was a rogue, not very good at hiding his tracks. As I ran, I wondered to myself why I'd asked for the girl. True, I enjoyed putting people into difficult positions but I really had no need for a human girl. Still, it would be nice to have someone around, subject to my every whim and desire.

I reached a empty house, the stench of blood hanging heavily in the air. The vampire was inside, the small boy curled up in the corner, petrified with fear.

"Young vampires. So arrogant" I muttered to myself. I quickly dispatched the vampire and picked up the boy, taking him to his house.

The man and woman were waiting anxiously on the porch.

"here" I said, handing him the boy "Now, we have things to discuss. Perhaps we should go inside?"

"No" snapped the woman. I scowled. I hoped they weren't about to go back on our deal.

"You are not going to double-cross me surely?" I asked, letting some of my power slip into my voice. The woman cringed in fear and shook her head.

"Good" I said, restraining my instincts "Then, I shall return for the child when she turns eighteen. In the meantime, I shall protect your family from all threats. I shall be watching you constantly" That was both a threat and a promise "Elena is not allowed to be alone with men who are not family" I snapped.

"What about school?"

"She can attend school until she turns thirteen. Then you can either home school her or send her to an all girls school"

"What do we do if she asks questions?"

"Tell her she's being saved. It's better if she knows anyway" I nodded "I'll be in touch"

I turned and left. Elena. The word rolled over my tongue, sweet as sugar. I smiled to myself. She was mine.

**A/N: you loved it? You hate it? Let me know.**


	2. Watching, waiting

-1**A/N: I wrote this chapter and then deleted it because it was rubbish.**

**This is a collection of flashbacks from times when Elijah watched Elena. They go up until age 15 (which is the present day in this chapter). Her parents are still alive.**

**A lot of people said 'why did Elijah want Elena?' In my opinion, he had 2 reasons. Reason number one: He enjoys torturing people by sticking them in hard situations, like Klaus. Reason number two: he fancied someone who is 'his' and he doesn't have to compel. **

True to my word I had protected the family. I had guarded them from all threats, both supernatural and not.

I smiled to myself. I'd watched Elena grow up and was pleased to see that her parents obeyed my rules. To a point anyway. Elena was still allowed to be around boys.

_****Flashback. Elena-age 8****_

"_Can't catch me!" She called, darting between the trees. The young blonde boy chased after her, grabbing her by the arm. She tripped and fell, squealing with laughter._

"_Matt! Stop!" she said as he tickled her. I scowled to myself, not liking the idea of the boy touching her. I knew they were kids and it was innocent but I still found it irritating. I was a rather possessive man, and I had a severe dislike of anyone who touched what was rightfully mine. The girl may not belong to me yet but I was still irritated._

"_Elena!" called her mum, coming to the kitchen door "Inside now!"_

"_Aww…but mum!" she protested._

"_No complaining! Now!" she said. There was a hint of worry in her voice, she chewed her bottom lip nervously, eyes darting around and resting on my hiding place. I smirked to myself. She couldn't see me but she knew I was there._

"_Matt, you should go home" she said "Now"_

"_Okay Mrs Gilbert" the woman's face softened._

"_Please, call me Miranda honey. Now off you go, quickly" the blonde boy scurried off and Elena came to the porch._

"_I don't want to come in mum! I was having fun!"_

"_No arguing Elena. Just go inside. Please!" she pleaded. Elena scowled but went in. I made a mental note. Elena was stubborn. I would have to teach her._

_****End Flashback****_

I sighed and picked up my glass, moving to the hotel window. I spotted two teenage girls, walking together. Not Elena of course, she would still be at home, studying but her friends.

_****Flashback. Elena-age ten****_

"_Happy Birthday Elena!" said the blonde girl. I struggled to remember her name. she'd only recently become friends with Elena. Carol? Carly? No! Caroline. That was it!_

"_Happy Birthday E!" said the dark haired girl, Bonnie. I recognized her. She was Elena's closest friend. She also had witch blood, I was sure of it._

"_Thanks guys!" Elena squealed "can I open my presents now mum?"_

"_Not yet honey. Wait until dad gets home with Jeremy"_

"_Okay. Can we go play outside?" she asked. Her mum nodded. Elena, Bonnie, Caroline and Matt (grr) went outside. They started to play together, their typical game of chase.  
"let's play vampires!" said Elena suddenly.  
"Vampires?"_

"_Yeah. Vampires and witches. I saw them on this film the other day. I wasn't supposed to watch it but there were vampires and witches and they were killing people"_

"_Okay. I want to be a witch!" said Bonnie.  
"Eww…witches are all ugly and old!" said Caroline. Bonnie scowled._

"_my granny is a witch!"_

"_Is not!"  
"Is too!" Bonnie pushed Caroline to the ground, angrily. Elena's mum came out.  
"What are you doing? Bonnie!"_

"_Sorry mummy. We were just playing Vampires and Witches. Caroline said that all witches were old and ugly. Bonnie said her granny is a witch. Can that happen?"_

"_I don't know" said her mum, forcing herself to remain calm "But I don't want you playing that game again. Your dad's here now, with Jeremy and Uncle John. Come inside and you can open your presents, then you can have cake"_

"_Yeah!" they all cheered, arguments forgotten as they rushed towards the promise of sugar overdoses. The pile of presents was small, the family didn't have much money. Still, Elena seemed happy enough as she unwrapped them. She reached the last parcel, the smallest. Mine. _

"_Who is this from? There's no tag" her mother and father exchanged glances but shrugged._

"_no idea" her dad said, finally. I growled quietly to myself. Elena unwrapped it and opened the box.  
"Ooh! It's pretty!" said Caroline, peering over her shoulder. I smiled. It was pretty. I'd bought it especially for her._

"_It's very nice mummy. But who do I send my thank you card too?"_

"_I don't know Elena"_

"_I'll write one anyway, then if they turn up I can give it to them"_

"_Well, we found the present on the porch. Why don't you leave your letter there?" Jeremy suggested. Elena nodded._

"_okay!"_

_****End Flashback****_

I smiled. I still had that thank you card. It was touching in a rather strange way. Hmm…I watched the two girls heading towards Elena's house and checked my watch. Half three. She'd have finished her school day by now. Her home school day, that is.

_****Flashback. Elena-age thirteen****_

"_Elena, tomorrow you are not going to school" said her father.  
"Why?"_

"_Because…you're not going to school again, okay? We're having you home schooled from now on"_

"_Why? I don't want to be home schooled! I like school! I want to see my friends!"_

"_You can see your friends after school" her mum said "you can't change this, it's final!"_

"_I hate you!" she screamed, running from the room to her bedroom. She lay on her bed and sobbed. I watched dispassionately from outside the house. Her father stepped out._

"_There, it's done" he said "I hope you're happy"_

"_Very actually" I said "However, there is one more thing"_

"_What?"_

"_Matt Donovan. She spends too much time with him"_

"_They're just kids. They're not doing anything!"_

"_Yes, and I'd rather it stays that way. If you insist on leaving him in her life, their time together must be limited and they must never be alone together"_

"_Fine. Anything else?"_

"_No. not right now" I turned and left._

_****End Flashback****_

**A/N: So, that was basically a little filler chapter. The next chapter will be set when Elena is approaching her eighteenth birthday. Which is after her parents have died and she's living with Aunt Jenna.**


	3. Happy Birthday, Elena!

**A/N: Today is Elena's eighteenth birthday. Her parents died over a year ago, and she now lives with Jenna. Unfortunately, Jenna doesn't know about Elijah's conditions so Elena is attending school again. With her boyfriend Stefan and his brother.  
Damon is less of an ass than usual in this story, more accepting of his brother's relationship. And yes, they are still vampires. Elena doesn't know that.  
Oh one more thing. Elena is still a virgin (much to Elijah's relief I'm sure).**

"Jeremy! Get up or you'll be late for school!" Jenna called up the stairs. I finished buttering the slice of toast I was holding, so carefully as if it was a masterpiece. Jeremy slouched down the stairs and I held the plate out to him. He took it gratefully.

"Happy Birthday Elena" he grunted. I smiled. There was the beep of a car horn outside. My smile widened.

"Stefan's here! Got to go!" I said. I might have found it slightly humiliating having to constantly beg a ride to school because I didn't have a car. Mum and dad had been going to buy me one...before the accident. And now I didn't car as much. Still, at least it meant I got to spend time with Stefan every day.

"Hey beautiful. Happy Birthday!" he said as I slid into the car, reaching over to kiss me. Damon stuck his head between the chairs from the backseat.

"Don't I get one of those?" he asked.

"I'm sure Stefan would kiss you if you asked him nicely, Damon" I joked. He grinned.

"I think I'll pass. Happy birthday Elena" he kissed my cheek. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, any excuse" Damon had...feelings for me. Yes I did find him attractive but I loved Stefan and that was the way it was going to be. So Damon and I were just friends (even though I was sure the only reason he still hung around was in case we broke up and he could try to catch me on the rebound).

"You two are coming over tonight right?" i asked. Jenna said I could have some friends over for a party. That would have been great if I was six. So I'd redirected it into a movies and pizza thing. And Stefan was staying over tonight. Unofficially.

The car pulled to a stop outside the school and I hoped out. Stefan came over, wrapping his arm around me.

"Did I mention how gorgeous you look this morning?" he asked, kissing me. I grinned against his mouth.

"Come on, we'll be late for class" as we walked towards the school I had the distinct sensation of being watched. I glanced around and for the briefest second i thought I saw a man on the other side of the road, watching me. I blinked and he was gone.

"Elena? You okay?" Stefan called.

"Yeah. I'm fine" I muttered, joining him again. We headed inside.

****Elijah's POV (Briefly)****

I watched with murderous rage as that boy led Elena by the hand into the school building. How dare he touch what was mine? I growled to myself. I couldn't stand the idea of anyone touching her except me.

Over the years of observing Elena, I'd come to admire her beauty, so resembling of Katerina. She seemed to be a kind hearted soul, stubborn as hell but friendly and loving. Perfect.

****Elena's POV****

I drummed my hands on the table impatiently. History class was so dull and i would admit to never paying attention. Luckily Stefan sat next to me and he was a history buff so he would whisper me the answer on the rare occasion that Mr Tanner called on me.

Absently, I toyed with my necklace. I'd had it since I was ten and I'd never taken it off, except after the accident when the nurse had removed it to put me in a neck brace. I wasn't sure why but it made me feel safer when I was wearing it. I still had no idea who it was from. I'd left them a thank you note on the porch, on the childish idea they'd come and get it. True, it had been gone the next day but there had never been any reply so I guess the wind blew it away.

I pressed my head against the table, wondering if it was physically possible for a person to die of boredom. I just wanted the day to be over so I could go home already!

****Luckily, we don't have to sit through the entire day. Skip forward!****

"God, at last!" i cheered as the final bell rang. Stefan wasn't in my last class and we'd decided that I'd get a lift home with Bonnie because he had things to pick up.

I met Bonnie outside and once again I had that strange feeling of being watched.

"Elena! Come on! We've got to beat the guys to your house!" said Caroline. I stared at her, confused.

"Why?"

"So we can make you look super hot!" she said, as if it was plainly obvious. I guess to her it was. I'd never been one of the fashion obsessed. I liked to look nice but that was about it.

"I mean" continued Caroline "Tonight is the night for you and Stefan! Finally taking off the chastity belt!"

"Which one are you talking about?" Asked Damon, popping up beside us "Her or him?" I blushed furiously.

"Shut up you guys. Come on Bonnie" i said, climbing into her car "See you at my house Damon!"

****Elijah's POV****

I watched Elena drive home, muttering furiously to myself. I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialled my house maid. When I'd arrived I'd lived in a hotel since vampire needs are very small but I decided that wouldn't do for my new girl so I'd bought a house not long ago.

"Hello?"

"Rose, please prepare the second bedroom immediately. I'm changing my plans" I said, hanging up. Rose was a vampire like me. Her and her sire, Trevor, had come to work for me in order for protection from Klaus.

I started to run towards Elena's house. I had originally intended to let her enjoy one final night with her family but now I knew of her plans for the evening, I had to intervene. I would not allow her to be sullied by that boy!

**A/N: Stalker!**


	4. Careful what you wish for

-1**A/N: it has been officially decided that Elijah (in this story) is a major creepy stalker. And that is true. But I'm trying to show different sides of him with each story I do. Besides, people said in Blurred Lines that they like dark Elijah. I like him too...  
Warning: Elijah is about to get a whole more stalkery (Is stalkery a word?).  
**

Elena's POV

"Oh my god! Elena, it's perfect!" crowed Caroline. I looked at myself mirror. I was wearing a short, smoky grey dress with sequined shoulder straps.

"It's pretty good" I admitted.

"Good? It's gorgeous! Stefan will just die when he sees you!" she said. I shook my head at her eagerness (anyone would think it was her having a romantic night with her boyfriend) and I headed downstairs with my friends. Damon, Matt and Stefan were chatting in the living room, arguing over movie choices. When we appeared, they just stared. Especially Damon.

"Put your tongues away" I snapped, though I was secretly pleased. I headed into the kitchen with everyone. Jenna had been working all day to make a cake and for the first time (in her life) it wasn't burnt.

"Wow. That looks great Jenna"

"Don't sound so surprised" She joked, handing me the cake knife "Go on, make a wish"

"Jenna...I'm too old for that!" I groaned. Stefan squeezed my hand (the one not holding the knife). I sighed and rolled my eyes, cutting the cake.  
I wish...I wish I knew who sent me my necklace.

I hadn't intended that to be my wish, it just happened. But the necklace was incredibly valuable and old. I wanted to know who exactly felt I was worth that.

"Presents now!" Cried Caroline, thrusting a pile of brightly wrapped boxes into my arms. I opened my presents from Jenna, Uncle John (shudder), Caroline and Matt. I got a new dress, a journal, a makeup bag and a CD. There was a knock at the door. I paused on Stefan's present.

"I'll get it" said Jenna "You open your presents" I smiled and carried on unwrapping Stefan's gift.

"Oh Stefan, it's gorgeous!" I said. It was. A beautiful charm bracelet with a single heart charm.

"I thought you could add to it as you want" he said "If you don't like the charm, I can take it back and you can pick" He started babbling, worrying that I didn't like it.

"Stefan. I love it" I said, kissing him.

"Uh hum" We were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. I turned to see Jenna standing on the doorway with a man I didn't recognize. He was tall, unsmiling and severe, with dark hair and dressed in a suit. I noticed that Jenna had a strange look on her face.

"Um...Elena, I'm sorry but I need you to come with me" she said.

"Why?" I asked.

"I've got something important to talk to you about" she said, not meeting my eyes. I followed her into the living room. The man sat in an armchair, while Jenna just hovered uncertainly.

"This is Elijah" she said, indicating the man. I nodded my head in acknowledgement and he smiled slightly.

"Please sit" he said, as if he was the owner of the house "I have some things to discuss with you. Rather...delicate subjects in fact"

"Really? What?" I asked, sitting on the sofa.

"I don't know how to put this but...your mother and father made a...contract with me. Payment in return for services"

"Okay..."

"The services are not important at this point but I'm afraid to say that the payment is"

"Did they not pay you?" I asked. I wondered why I was being involved in this.

"Not exactly. The payment was you, Elena"

"What?"

"In return for my services, they promised you to me when you reached eighteen. The fact that they are no longer alive doesn't change what is owed to me"

"You're saying that my parents sold me?" I shouted in disbelief, getting to my feet.

"No Elena, that's not..." began Jenna. Elijah cut her off.

"Yes. That's exactly what they did" he said. Jenna glared at him but he ignored her and stood up.

"So, you should go and pack" he said. I shook my head, staring at him in disbelief.

"No way. I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"You don't exactly have a choice" he said, icily.

"Go fuck yourself!" I snarled, rushing out of the room and up the stairs. I slammed my door shut and locked it. I flopped onto my bed and screamed into my pillow. Tears of anger and frustration soaked the fabric.

I heard Jenna getting everyone to leave and I cried harder. Would I have to give up my friends? Would I ever see them…and Stefan again? Stefan…tonight was supposed to be our special night and it was ruined.

"Elena?" called a voice through the door. It was Damon.

"Go away!" I shouted. I heard a quiet sigh and then footsteps disappearing. I got up, unlocked the door to check that he was really gone. On the floor outside my bedroom was his present. I picked it up and shoved it in my drawer, not in the mood for presents now.

I curled up on my bed and closed my eyes.

Elijah's POV

I watched Elena sleeping from the window seat, deep in thought. Her cheeks were stained with tears. Clearly she'd cried herself to sleep.

Outside in the corridor a floorboard creaked. Elena jerked upright, her eyes only half open. She sighed and lay back down again, rolling onto her side. Her eyes briefly rested on me before they slid closed. I smiled slightly to myself.

Three

Two

One.

She jumped up again, eyes flying to me. I smiled smugly.

"What are you doing here?" she said, jumping out of her bed. My eyes raked her slender form, hardly covered by the revealing dress she wore. I would have to keep that one.

"It's time you and I had a little chat" I said.

**A/N: Bad Elijah! You don't hang around in girl's bedrooms! I don't know why Bella liked it so much. Anyway, I have an announcement to make. I did a count up of the reviews on 'Of dreams and reality' and decided that *shudder* I'm going to write a sequel. As everyone can tell…I am thrilled at this prospect. I'm going to leave 'of dreams and reality' as a separate fic so that people who didn't want a sequel don't feel obliged to read it.  
Now I have a question. As this sequel (shudder) is going to focus a lot more on Klaus and Elena, what is the pairing going to be? Vote in a review and I'll leave the results a surprise until the end. Of course, I might just ignore everyone, throw caution to the wind, drink a lot of coke and eat Oreos then see what happens. But I have no money to buy Oreo's or coke so that will most likely not happen.**


	5. ultimatum

-1**Elena's POV**

"What do you want?" I asked, trying to sound confident, even though I wasn't.

"I want you to break up with your boyfriend" he said simply.  
"no"

"Yes"

"No!"

"You don't have a choice Elena"

"Yes I do. My parents might have sold me to you but there's a big difference between that and me obeying you" his smile grew.

"Well, you see I actually can make you obey me because…I have this special thing that can make you do what I like…because I'm a vampire" I took an unconscious step backwards.

"You're insane" I said.

"No. I am actually vampire" he smiled, his fangs sliding from his mouth. I stared for a split second, then my instincts kicked in. I darted over my bed, heading for the bedroom door. I slammed into something hard. Arms wrapped around me, holding me still. I felt sharp teeth pressing against my throat and I let out a gasp.

"Well that was entertaining" said Elijah's smooth voice. He tossed me onto my bed, making me fall head first into the covers. I rolled onto my back and tried to sit up but he pushed me down again, looming over me.

"Here's your choice Elena. Break up with Stefan or he won't see another sunrise" he said quietly. Then he was gone. I tried to calm down my breathing and went to the window. A single black crow was perched in the tree outside, watching me. As I met it's eye, it flew away. I picked up my diary and started to write.

_**Dear Diary,**_

_**Is it possible that everything's true? Fairy tales and horror stories? I saw…a vampire. I don't know how that can be true but it is…he's a vampire. Elijah, the man my parents sold me to. How can they have done that to me, and lied for all those years?  
He gave me an ultimatum. Stefan and me have to break up or he'll kill him. I know he can do it. He moved so quickly when he grabbed me and I could feel the strength in him.**_

_**I don't want to hurt Stefan but I also don't want him to get hurt.**_

_**I'm screwed.**_

_**Elena.**_

I sighed and put my diary in it's customary hiding place, then fetched my phone. I dialled Stefan's number…and then checked the time. No way would he still be awake.

"Elena?" he answered on the second ring which was surprising.

"Stefan…I need to talk to you. Can you meet me by the river?" I asked. I didn't invite him to my house because I wanted somewhere neutral to do this.

"Sure. I'll be there in five minutes" he said. I hung up and went to my bedroom window. I had snuck out once or twice before but tonight it felt different. I climbed down the trellis and landed on the ground. I jogged slowly to the river. Stefan was already there and the instant I saw him I started to cry. He was at my side in an instant, wrapping his arms around me.

"Elena….what's wrong? What happened?" he asked. I cried harder at his questions, feeling his arms locked around me.  
"I'm sorry Stefan"

"Elena. What's wrong?" he asked, placing a finger on my chin so I was looking at him.

"Stefan…we can't see each other anymore" it took a minute for my words to sink in.

"What? Why? I thought you were happy with me"

"I am…I mean, I was. But there are things you don't know. Things are interfering and it's because I care about you that I can't be with you anymore"

"Elena…"

"No! Don't make this any harder then it already is!" I said "I'll never forget you Stefan…or the time we had" I kissed his cheek and walked off. After a few seconds I started to run. I wanted to escape everything but I knew I couldn't.

I ended up in the graveyard. I sat by my parents grave but it didn't give me comfort like it used to.

"Why did you do this to me?" I whispered. Then I rose to my feet, went home. I locked the window, got a knife from the kitchen and sat on my bed until morning came.

**A/N: Oooh. Next chapter: Elena moves in with Elijah. Here's a sneak preview…**

_**I walked towards her and she just sat there, staring. **_

"_**I did what you said, can't you just leave me alone?" she asked, speaking before I could. Her expression wasn't afraid, wasn't angry. It was just…done. She was tired of the world. **_

"_**You know I can't"**_

"_**Why? Why me out of all the girl's in the world? You said you can control people's minds, why don't you?"**_

"_**Because I don't want all the girl's in the world. I want you" I closed the space between us and pulled her to her feet. My arm encircled her, pressing her against me. My hands stroked her frame, feeling the gentle curve of her body.**_

"_**You are what I want, Elena" I whispered in her ear, my lips coming down against the soft skin of her throat.**_


	6. Time to go

-1**A/N: The next morning. Elena****'****s POV at first, but not for long.**

Elena's POV

I sat at my window seat, peering out as my brother left for school. I'd told Jenna I wasn't feeling good which was true. I hadn't got any sleep last night because I was afraid, and because every time I closed my eyes I saw Stefan's face. My eyes gazed unseeing at the window. Something moved and I squinted, seeing the shape of Elijah. A quiver of fear shot through me and my breathing jumped momentarily but I fought to control myself. I turned to look at him

Elijah's POV

I walked towards her and she just sat there, staring.

"I did what you said, can't you just leave me alone?" she asked, speaking before I could. Her expression wasn't afraid, wasn't angry. It was just…done. She was tired of the world.

"You know I can't"

"Why? Why me out of all the girl's in the world? You said you can control people's minds, why don't you?"

"Because I don't want all the girl's in the world. I want you" I closed the space between us and pulled her to her feet. My arm encircled her, pressing her against me. My hands stroked her frame, feeling the gentle curve of her body.

"You are what I want, Elena" I whispered in her ear, my lips coming down against the soft skin of her throat. I felt the hum of her pulse against my lips and my fangs started to unsheathe themselves. I pulled away sharply. I did want to taste Elena's blood but now was not the time or place, not when her aunt could return from wherever she'd gone at any time. I met Elena's eyes. Something had flared inside them, a burning hatred.  
"Why are you here?" she asked "I did as you said, Stefan and I aren't together. Mission accomplished, you can go and crawl under whatever rock you came from now" I growled quietly. She might not like me but she was going to treat me with respect. I held her arm, squeezing gently. I could crush the bone easily if I chose to but I decided against it. I let my teeth slid out. Elena's eyes were now wide and fearful. Good. I let her go.

"Pack a bag" I said, shortly, turning away from her.

"Why?" I rolled my eyes.

"Because you're leaving"

"No I'm not" she said.

"I missed the part where I gave you a choice. Pack your bags or I'll do it for you. You're coming with me"

"You can't force me! That's kidnapping!" I flashed to her side and grabbed her, pushing her head to the side to bare her precious neck.

"You're forgetting Elena. Not only do I have the right to do as I will with you, thanks to your parents, I also have the means to force you. Now pack your bag" I said. I sat on the edge of her bed as she fetched her rucksack and filled it with clothes, toiletries and a few books. She pulled a wrapped parcel from her drawers and after a second's consideration, she put it in.

Then she fell to her hands and knees. I peered at her.

"What are you doing?" I asked. She didn't reply with words. Instead she pulled a leather notebook out from under the bed. Ah, her journal. I'd forgotten. I'd seen her writing in it before.

"Are you ready?" I asked as she put that in the bag too. She stared at me with irritated eyes and picked up her rucksack.

"Do I get to say goodbye to my family?" she asked.

"No goodbye's Elena. Leave them a note. You'll see them again most likely" she scribbled a note and put it on her neatly made bed. I checked it quickly to make sure it wasn't anything along the lines of 'Help! I have been kidnapped by a crazy vampire'. it wasn't, thankfully.

"Done" she said, dolefully. I got off the bed and did a mock bow.

"Onwards milady!" I said, cheerfully. She rolled her eyes and muttered something indistinct under her breath. I led her out to my car and she climbed in. she refused to look at me as I started the engine. I knew she was annoyed but I didn't care. She was mine and that was all that was important.

We drove to my house. Rose was at the door when we arrived.  
"Elena, this is my housekeeper Rose" I noticed Rose's nostrils flare when I called her that but I ignored it "Rose, could you show Elena to her room? I have to go give Trevor very strict instructions on something"

Elena's POV

This woman Rose, led me through the huge house to a bedroom. I sighed in relief that Elijah wasn't forcing me to share with him.

I noticed Rose was staring at me.

"Yes?"

"You look so much like Katherine" she said, in disbelief.

"Who's Katherine?" I asked.


	7. A new friend

-1**A/N: Taking bets at the moment. How long until Elijah and Elena hook up? I don't know. At some points I'm tempted for him to just jump her but then I change my mind. What do you think? How are E/E going to finally get together in this story?**

**Oh and an early warning, Klaus will be making a guest appearance in the story but it will be a minimal amount of time. 2 chapters at the most. Sorry to disappoint Klaus fans.**

Rose turned away from me, heading out of the room.  
"Wait! Who's Katherine?" I begged. She sighed and came to sit on the bed.  
"Katherine is…was an exceptionally famous vampire. A highly manipulative one at that. She looked like you"

"Was she…I mean did him and her…?" she stared at me blankly for a minute.

"What?"

"Did she and Elijah…?"

"Hook up? No. Never. Katherine used men. She didn't care about anyone but herself. Elijah knew her as…not a friend exactly. A friend of a friend. She died a few centuries back. In fact Elijah was the one who killed her"

"Oh"

"Why?"

"Well, I just thought that maybe that was why he was interested in me. I could slightly understand it if I reminded him of some long lost love"

"No. besides, the deal was made when you were three years old Elena. I highly doubt he knew you'd look like Katherine back then" she rose to her feet and left. I sighed and started to unpack my bag.

The room itself was quite nice. It was very open plan and light, with a large glass door leading to a balcony. The furniture was made of a light wood and the walls were cream. I put my clothes in a drawer and then looked around for a decent hiding place for my diary. I wasn't leaving that out and about for vampires to read. In the end I slipped it between the bed frame and the mattress. I had just finished this when Elijah came in.

"What do you want?" I asked, coldly.

"That's not very friendly"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I mistake you for the kidnapping ass who brought me here? How rude of me" I said, sarcastically. He rolled his eyes.

"I'm here to discuss the house rules with you" he said "First, that comes off" For a minute I had no idea what he was talking about and I was really creeped out.

"Excuse me"

"That" he tapped my wrist. I looked down, remembering the charm bracelet Stefan had given me.  
"No way"

"Yes. Take it off Elena" he said. I shook my head. His eyes met mine. They were deep, endless.

"Take off the bracelet" he said, slowly. My hands moved of their own accord, unfastening the bracelet and handing it to him. He smiled and pocketed it, breaking eye contact with me "Perfect"

"What the hell did you do?" I asked, startled "Give it back!"

"No Elena. It's hardly appropriate for you to be wearing that, here"

"I hate you" I snarled.  
"I know" he said "Now, house rules. Number one, you can't leave the house without my permission. Number two, you are to be respectful towards other members of the household. Number three, you are to do as I say without question"

"What's number four? Call you sir or master?" I said, sarcastically. Something flickered in his eyes.

"If you like. The actual number four is, no interaction with males. You belong to me Elena, don't forget it. You can, obviously, talk to males in the household and family but no one else."

"Are these rules or ways to inflate your giant ego?" I asked. He ignored my comment and continued

"The final rule is simple. Actions have consequences" he said.

"So…if I don't do what you say, you're going to punish me?" I guessed. He nodded "God, you sound like my dad"

"I'm worse then your father Elena" he said, leaning closer to me "Because I have sharper teeth and a specific appetite"

And with that, he was gone. Fucking freak.

I wanted to stay hidden in my bedroom for as long as possible but human nature got in the way and I had to leave in search of food. I managed to find the kitchen easily enough. Rose was there, cooking when I slid into a seat at the counter.  
"Do vampires even need to eat?" I asked.  
"Yes. As long as we feed on blood regularly, everything else continues as normal" she said, cracking an egg "Can you cook?"

"A bit" I admitted "My boyfriend taught me"  
"Ex boyfriend Elena" said Elijah, coming into the room with a man I didn't recognize. I glanced at him, not liking the way his eyes were fixed on my neck.  
"This is Trevor" said Rose "he's my friend"

"Nice to meet you" I said, getting to my feet to shake his hand. Instead, he brought it to his mouth and kissed it. Eww.

"Trevor" Elijah snapped, clearly disliking the contact as much as I did. Trevor jerked away.

"I'll skip food, Rose" he said "I'll eat later"

"I'll be there soon" she said, smiling at him. I wondered if they were a couple or just close friends. Rose finished making scrambled eggs and plated it up for me.

"I figured you wouldn't want to eat anything heavy after…all this" she said. I nodded, thankful. The idea of something big made my stomach heave. Elijah didn't eat, just fetched a glass of wine and left, leaving me with Rose. I didn't mind. In fact, I preferred it.

"So, how are you feeling?" she asked, waiting until Elijah had left the room to ask.

"Angry. Stressed. Betrayed. Used" I said.

"I understand how you feel" she said "I came from a different time where girls were given to men routinely. But my mother had promised she would never do that to me"

"And she did?" I asked.

"Yes. They sold me to a wealthy land owner with the intent of me being his wife. It didn't end well"

"You were…human then?"

"Yes. I almost died. I was found by Trevor and he changed me. I've never looked back. But of course…for you it's probably a thousand times worse because the idea was never there"

"yeah. Not many kids nowadays get sold off by there parents" I agreed.


	8. Vervain

-1**A/N: The next day**

My body was automatically tuned to wake up in time for school. I wasn't sure why, it was just some weird genetic thing I had. Another weird genetic thing I had was an inability to eat breakfast. So I woke up, dressed and packed my bag. I was on the verge of walking out the door when Elijah appeared, arms folded.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"School" I said, trying to side step him. He moved to block me again.

"Oh no you're not"

"Yes I am. School is a legal requirement" I said. I darted under his arm, grabbing at the door. He slammed the door shut the second I got it open, looped an arm around my waist and pushed me against the wall, holding me there.  
"Get off me you creep!" I screamed "Get off!" He didn't move, his eyes burning into mine.

"Elena, what did I say about going out without asking?"

"Fine…can you get off of me so I can go to school. Now. Please" I snarled, pushing against his chest.

"No" he said, releasing me and going to sit on the sofa.

"Why not?"

"Why do you want to go?"

"Because school is part of my life"

"Not anymore. If you are so desperate to learn Rose can home school you"

"what about my friends?"

"You can have them over anytime you want. I'm not unreasonable Elena. If you want to see them, you can"

"No way. I'm not letting them come anywhere near here" I said. He shrugged.

"That's your choice" he picked up a newspaper that was on the coffee table and began to read. I glanced at the door, wondering how far I'd make it before he caught me.  
"Don't even think about it Elena" he said without looking up. I groaned and went upstairs.

****the next day****

I lay in my bed, head buried under the pillows. I was awake and had been for ages but hadn't got up because there was no point in my opinion. It's not like I could go anywhere. So when the door opened and my pillow was forcibly removed, I wasn't exactly expecting it. I rolled over to see Rose.

"What?"  
"Why are you still in bed?"  
"Because I have nothing better to do with my time"

"You can't waste your life in bed"

"Yes I can" I argued, grabbing at my pillow.  
"No. come and help me in the garden" she said. I groaned and got out of bed. I dressed quickly and followed Rose downstairs. I hadn't looked in the garden yet but I'd seen it through the kitchen window. It was nice, large and grassy with flowers bordering. Rose led me outside.  
"How come you can walk in the sun?" I asked. She waved her hand at me.  
"I've got a ring. It was a gift when Elijah 'employed' me and Trevor"

"Something tells me you weren't too happy with this idea" I said.

"No. Me and Trevor were in a mess, on the run. Elijah pardoned us so we owe him" she shrugged "That's it"

"And he employed you as a maid? Really?"

"Guess it was a way to keep an eye on us"

"Is this the whole friends close, enemies closer thing?" I asked, walking briskly to keep up with her.

"No. we're not threatening enough to be enemies" she said.

"You're a vampire. Surely you can be a threat if you want to? Or are there different levels of vampire's?" She examined the flowers, noting the ones that needed pruning, speaking absently.

"Yes, there are different levels depending on age, diet and training. Me and Trevor are over five hundred years old, we feed on humans so we're pretty strong but we don't have the training the Elijah does. He's one of the originals, the first generation of vampires and he was changed by the very first vampire so he's incredibly strong. Plus he has a lot of training. No way could I beat him in a fight. But someone like Damon…"

"Damon?"

"Yeah. Damon Salvatore. Do you know him?"

"Yes! I'm…I was dating his brother. He's a vampire?"

"Yes. Damon and Stefan. About 160 years now. They're pretty young compared to most" I let out a mixture between a sigh and a groan, sinking onto the grass.

"Oh my god. Anything else to tell me? First I find out my parents sold me, to a vampire no less. Then I find out my boyfriend was in fact a hundred year old vampire! Is there anything else I don't know?" I exclaimed. Rose sighed.

"I'm sorry Elena. I thought you would know" she said, regretfully. I flopped back onto the grass, staring up at the sky.

"What's really wrong?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I may not know you that well but I'm a good judge of character. I know something's up with you"

"Fine. I miss my friends and family. I know I've only been here a few days but I've seen those people everyday for eighteen years"

"I'm sure Elijah would let you have your friends over. The only people he objects to are your guy friends" I sat up.

"No. I don't want my friends anywhere near this house, near him" she laughed slightly.

"If Elijah wanted to take a bite out of your friends I don't think just keeping them out of the house would stop him"

"It's not that" I admitted. She looked at me curiously and sat next to me.

"What is it then?"

"If I let them come here, it all becomes too real. It's like…as long as I don't see the outside world I can pretend that it doesn't exist and that this is just a weird dream. As soon as those two worlds meet it becomes real and I don't want that" she wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"I understand but you need to remember that this isn't going to change. Elijah can be incredibly possessive. No way will he just let you go. Maybe you should just try and get along, try and stay happy, make the most of what you've got" she said. I smiled at her.

"I'll try Rose"

"Good. Now, let's carry on. We have a whole garden to check over" we walked along the grass until Rose stopped, staring at some weird bush.

"What's wrong?"

"That shouldn't be there" she said, pointing.

"What is it?"

"Vervain. It's toxic to vampires. I thought all of it had been destroyed. I better get some gloves"

"I'll do it if you want" I offered "It'll be easier"

"Oh…okay. Just cut it down and make sure you dig up the roots. Then stick it on the heap. Trevor will burn it later. I actually have some cleaning to do"

"Enjoy" I said, waving at her. She wandered inside, leaving me to pull up the vervain. I pulled it up quickly enough and put most of it on the heap she'd pointed out. The rest I pocketed, and hid with my diary.


	9. Elijah meets Jeremy

-1**A/N: A few days after the last chapter. Klaus appears soon!**

I had got used to sleeping in, Rose waking me up and us spending the day around the house (her doing jobs, me following her around). So when Rose didn't come and wake me up I was slightly worried. I knew I was being paranoid but I let out a quiet sigh of relief when I heard the door open. I waited for her usual demand to wake me up but it didn't come. Instead I heard quiet footsteps and the sound of a throat being cleared.

"Elena?" I sat up. Elijah was standing at the end of my bed. I jumped, catapulting myself out.

"What are you doing in here?"

"Well, I did knock"

"I didn't hear you"

"That's beside the point. I've actually come to tell you that we're having a guest over for dinner"

"We? Since when have I become any part of this?"

"Since you entered my house. I need to make a positive impression"

"So you're using me as a trophy wife?" I said, raising an eyebrow in my direction. Eh sighed.

"Whatever you want to call it, I don't care. All I need is for you to eat dinner with me and act nice"

"Why? Who is this guy?" I said.

"He's an old…friend" he said, heading to my wardrobe and sorting through it. He groaned with disgust when he couldn't find anything. He turned back to me "Do you have any dresses that don't end mid-thigh?"

"Not here. I've got some at my…at the other house if you want me to fetch one" he considered for a minute, then nodded.

"Fine. I'll drive you. Get dressed"

"Why can't Rose take me?"

"I gave her and Trevor the day off. They don't get along with my guest"

"So who's going to cook?"

"me" he said, as if it was obvious. I sighed.

"Okay, you are using a trophy girlfriend to impress this guy, I'm taking it that he's a bit of an old fashioned chauvinist. You're not going to make a positive impression cooking. I'll do it" he looked taken aback.  
"Really?"

"I can cook. And if I'm going to do this, I might as well do it properly" I said "Now, can you leave so I can get dressed?" I noticed his eyes taking in my skimpy tank top and shorts. I rolled my eyes "stop staring" I snapped. He averted his eyes.  
"I'll be downstairs" he said, turning away sharply. I waited until I heard his footsteps going down the corridor before I dressed. I headed downstairs where Elijah was tossing his keys in the air and catching them again. I snatched them out of midair.

"Wow, vampire reflexes really aren't all they're cracked up to be" I said. He rolled his eyes and held his hand out for the keys. I handed them back to him. He led me out to his car and held the door open for me. I slid in, allowing a small smile to appear on my face. He got into the driver's seat.

"How old are you?" I asked, suddenly.

"Why?"

"Just a conversation I had with Rose the other day"

"You were talking about me?"

"Don't get a big head. We were talking about vampires in general. And anything I've said about you is bad"

"Understood"

"Rose said that you were stronger then her because you were older and had more training. She said you were an original…what does that mean?"

"I was one of the first vampires to be created. There was the first vampire and he made five others, and then we made some more and so on"

"You still haven't told me how old you are"

"I'm over three thousand years old" he admitted. I thought for a minute. If there was a vampire that he wanted to impress then that must mean he was older…

"So…this guest who's coming tonight…?"

"is the first vampire"

"Shit. That's scary. Remind me again why I need to be there?"

"To make an impression"

"Couldn't you just pick up some random girl off the street and use that mind control power on them?"

"I could but…you'll have slightly more impact"

"Why? What aren't you telling me?" I asked, suspiciously. He sighed.  
"Rose told you about Katherine right?"

"Yes"  
"Katherine was Klaus's lover"

"WHAT?" I screeched. Elijah hit the brakes rapidly and looked at me. I stared at him. "So you are practically serving me up to some vampire?"

"No. it's not like that"

"Okay, so there is nothing that's going to happen to me tonight?" I asked, eyeing him. He looked away.

"Elijah…I'm being exceptionally nice about all of this. Please tell me"

"There's a small chance I might need to feed off you…" I groaned and placed my head against the dashboard. Elijah reached over and placed a hand on my wrist. I jerked away sharply and looked up at him.

"let's just get the dress" I said. He nodded and started moving again. We drove to my house. It was quiet, everyone was out. I went inside and upstairs to my bedroom. Elijah followed. I dug my blue dresses out of the wardrobe.

"Will this do?" I asked. He looked it up and down, then nodded.

"Yeah" I heard a sharp creak outside and looked up. Jeremy was standing at the doorway.

"Elena?"

"Jeremy!" I said, rushing over to hug him.

"What happened? You disappeared!" he said.

"I know…I'm sorry"

"Who the fuck is that?" he said, peering over my shoulder. I sighed.

"Jeremy, this is Elijah. Elijah, this is my brother Jeremy"

"Ah…the famous Jeremy. Last time I saw you, you were a one year old"

"Who are you?"

"Did your Aunt Jenna explain where Elena had gone?" he asked.

"She said that she had to leave, something to do with our parents"

"Yes. Your parents sold her to me" I glared at him.

"Our parents wouldn't do that!" Jeremy said, staring at Elijah. I sighed.

"Well, they did. Now, Elena we need to be going" Elijah said, briskly. Jeremy moved to block his path.

"You're not going anywhere with my sister" he said, looking from Elijah to me. I sighed. Elijah raised an eyebrow in my direction, saying to me 'your choice. Do you want me to kill your brother?'

"I'm sorry Jer. I have to go" I grabbed the dress and walked out the door, Elijah following. As he started the car engine he made to speak.  
"don't!" I cut him off "Let's just go"


	10. Dinner time

-1**A/N: how prominent a character do we want Klaus to be? I was thinking he was just going to be a background character but I was wondering. Big character or not? Threat or not? I don****'****t want this to turn out like another version of Blurred Lines. I****'****ve already made Elijah less of an ass then I originally intended.**

I'd spent the day in the kitchen, and had just finished the basic preparations for dinner. Now Elijah came in wearing his usual suit, drawn by the smell of food.

"Hey" he said, sitting at the counter "smells good"

"hope so. Wouldn't want to make a bad impression, would we?" I teased.

"Elena, thank you for doing this for me" I sighed.

"Don't start acting weird. I'm doing this because I really don't have any other choice. Now, can you watch my sauce while I get changed?" I asked. He nodded and came over to the oven. I handed him the spoon and looked at him sternly.

"If it burns, you're explaining" I told him. He smiled slightly and nodded. I left the room and went upstairs to change, style my hair and apply make up. I couldn't believe I was actually going along with this stupid, twisted…game. It was like a game. Too surreal.

I headed back downstairs. Elijah looked me up and down, eyes wide.  
"Do I need to tell you not to stare again?" I asked, sarcastically "it's getting really tiring"

"I'm not going to apologise for looking, Elena. You are very attractive"

"Hmm. Thanks" the doorbell rang "Is that him?" I asked.

"Yes. Now, I need to warn you of some things first. Number one, Klaus may seem charming but he's deadly. Number two, he's a serious jerk with women. Don't let him irritate you, because if you do he'll hurt you Elena. He thinks nothing about hurting people. Third, never turn your back on him. And fourth, try to stay further then an arm's length away from him at all times"

"Do I want to know why or should I leave it to my imagination?" I asked.

"Imagination is probably best" he said, grimly "Now, go answer the door"

"Why me? It's your house!"

"He can't come in without your permission"

"Okay. That's cool. We're talking about that later" I said. I went to the corridor, straightened my dress before opening the door. A tall man with ruffled blonde hair was standing there, with a red headed girl. His silver eyes looked me over, seeming surprised.

"Well Katerina, this is certainly an unexpected surprise" he leaned forward but I took a step backwards and he halted, trapped on the threshold.

"you have a human in your midst? Perhaps it would be a good idea to have them invite me in"

"I'm not Katerina or whoever you think I am" I said, quickly. He cocked his head to one side.

"So who are you?"

"My name is Elena Gilbert. I'm Elijah's…" I paused "I live with Elijah"

"Oh. Forgive my rudeness. Nice to meet you Elena, I'm Klaus. This is Gabrielle may I come in?"

"Yes you may" I said, stepping to the side to let him in. He smiled widely and stepped in. I led him into the living room where Elijah was standing, face tense. When he saw Klaus, he appeared to relax but I could tell it was an act. I left them to their banter and went to finish making the food. I had cooked Italian as I figured it was the safest option since I was serving food to ancient vampires who had probably eaten everything in the world at least once.

"Food's ready" I called, carrying the plates into the dining room. I deliberately took the seat furthest away from Klaus and his girlfriend. Okay, that meant I had to sit next to Elijah but beggars can't be choosey.

"So, Elena, how did you and Elijah meet?" Klaus asked, after we'd all been seated and started to eat.

"Err…" I shifted uncomfortably.

"What? Runaway romance?" he teased. I shook my head.

"Not even close. He bought me off my parents" I said, meeting Klaus's eyes. Elijah ignored us both.

"Wow, Elijah. I never thought you'd have trouble getting dates"

"I wasn't. I merely decided that it was far too good an opportunity to miss. At least I'm not compelling her into staying and she's here of her own free will" I rolled my eyes. The movement didn't go unnoticed by Klaus.

"Elena doesn't appear to agree. Elena?" I glanced at Elijah who was shooting me daggers.

"No. I'm fine"

"You like it here?" I noted the double meaning in his question.

"It's a nice place" I said, ignoring what he was really asking.

"What about Elijah? Has age mellowed the old man?"

"You are older then me" Elijah pointed out.

"He can be a bit irritating at times but he's a…is it weird for me to say a softie at heart?" I said, enjoying the opportunity to wind Elijah up. He was making me do this, I was going to enjoy it!

"Not at all" said Klaus, smiling at me. Clearly he was also enjoying this.

"So what about you and Gabrielle? Where did you meet?"

"Nightclub" he said, wrapping an affectionate arm around her. She snuggled up to him instantly. It would have been a cute scene if it weren't for the look in his eyes. Hunger.

"Nice. I kind of guessed it would be something like that" I said, leaning back in my chair.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, eyes dark. Elijah's hand grasped mine under the table, not affectionately but as a warning. You're treading on dangerous ground.

"You just don't seem like the kind of guy to do the whole flowers and movie thing"

He leaned forward.  
"You should have seen me in the eighteen hundreds. I was the scourge of the town. And of course I don't do the movie thing. I can think of much better things to do on a date" he winked at me. I felt colour rush to my cheeks. I noticed that the plates had emptied over the conversation.

"I'll clear up" I said.

"Help her" said Klaus to Gabrielle.

"I don't need help" I said "I'm perfectly capable of doing this myself. I'm pretty sure even a guy could put away a few dishes" I saw Elijah smirking out of the corner of my eye.

"If she's going to be here, she might as well make herself useful" said Klaus, coldly. Gabrielle stood up and followed me into the kitchen. I turned to face her.

"You don't have to. I can do that myself" I said, nodding at the plates. She shrugged.

"get's me away from him" I jumped at the venom in her voice. She raised an eyebrow.

"What? You think I like being little miss obedient?"

"I just assumed he'd compelled you into liking him"

"No" she sighed "sometimes I think that'd be easier. He just compels me into acting like I like him. He doesn't actually need me to feel it. It makes it easier for him to feed off me. But of course, you'd know about that?"

"No. Elijah's never…"

"Really?" he forehead scrunched up in confusion "Wow. That's odd. Vampires normally feed on the girls they pick up. I guess you must be something special" I laughed.

"Hardly. My only skill is to look like some ancient dead vampire"

"Yeah, Katherine. I met her you know" I blinked.

"How old are you?" she smiled wanly.

"Older then I look. I'm a witch. That's why Klaus doesn't care if I'm happy. He just wants me for my powers and my blood. Fuck my happiness. With humans, when he tells them to act happy they normally actually become happy"

"So he's just feeding off you…nothing else?" she laughed.

"I didn't say that. I must say though, there are some things he's surprisingly good at" she grinned "Come on, where's dessert?" I pulled out dessert (store-bought) and plated up. We went back into the dining room where Klaus and Elijah seemed to be involved in some heated debate. I slid back into my seat and was surprised when Elijah shifted my chair closer to his and slipped an arm around me. I shot him a disgruntled look and he just twitched his head slightly in response. When I looked over at Klaus, he was watching us intently. I sighed and focused on my dessert. This evening was dragging on.

**moving on**

I'd hoped that once the meal was over, Klaus would leave but instead we all moved into the living room where the men planned on having drinks. Gabrielle shot me a look behind their backs. I grimaced back, remembering what Elijah had said about having to bite me. I really didn't like that idea. Yuck.

Fortunately, when we went in, Elijah was pouring out scotch. He offered Gabrielle a glass which she downed but ignored me.

"Aren't you going to let your girlfriend have a drink?" Klaus asked.

"I'm not his girlfriend" I said, quietly. Elijah's eyes flashed to me and narrowed. I sighed and put on a bright smile "I don't drink" that was a lie. I was eighteen. Yes I'd drunk before. Klaus took a sip and grimaced.

"Where'd you get this stuff? It's disgusting" Elijah shrugged.  
"it was a present. I felt it was a good idea to serve it up rather then waste any of the good stuff"

"oh, I'm hurt" I shared a slightly puzzled look with Gabrielle, which Klaus noticed. "small fact of life Elena. Your opinion of a man is expressed by the quality of the alcohol you serve him"

"Didn't know that. Does it work on girls too?"

"No. a man will only serve a woman the alcohol sufficient to shut her up" he smirked. I rolled my eyes. Klaus grimaced again and put the glass down "I can't stomach this stuff"

"Well, you don't have to drink it"

"I know I don't. Gabrielle?" Gabrielle went over to Klaus's side and bared her neck. Elijah looked away but Klaus smiled.

"Aren't you going to join me?" he asked. Elijah scowled and came over to me. He gripped my arm tightly, pulling me with him. He seated himself in a chair, and sat me down awkwardly on his lap. I gave him a raised eyebrows 'you-can't-be-serious' look. He pushed my head roughly to the side and bared his fangs. I stiffened and caught his eye, pleading without words. He looked slightly regretful and he stroked my cheek with one hand but the other hand didn't relinquish it's grip on my throat. Slowly, hesitantly, he lowed his mouth to my neck and bit down. I bit my lip to keep from screaming. It hurt…it hurt worse then anything I'd ever felt before. My head moved slightly so it was resting on Elijah's shoulder. One hand had wound into my hair, the other cradled me closer to him. A single tear slipped from my eye. I met Gabrielle's gaze from across the room. She was in a similar position except her expression wasn't sadness. It was sympathetic towards me but for the most part it was just…resigned. No emotions. I now understood what she'd meant when she said it was better to be compelled then to live in this harsh reality.

**A/N: That was a long chapter. Or it seemed long to me. Did we like it? Poor Elena, she's having a bit of a rough time. Anyway, I have a dilemma and I need input from you guys! My dilemma is this…if Elena misbehaves (breaks one of Elijah's rules or…say…makes an attempt to poison him with vervain), how would he punish her? I'm not good at this kind of stuff. Well, sometimes I am but I don't want all my stories to turn out the same way which means the biting punishment is out. So, let me know! Go crazy! I'll look at all the suggestions and choose my favourite/the most suggested.**


	11. Vervain part 2

-1**A/N: Thank you for your suggestions of punishments. Keep them coming in! I may need more later! The punishments aren't showing up in this chapter so there's still time to give me more suggestions. **

I woke up early, tired from lack of sleep. every time I'd closed my eyes I'd seen Elijah in my head, teeth bared. I couldn't get comfortable either, my neck alternated between aching and burning.

I took a deep breath and decided. Today was going to be the day. Elijah had told me yesterday that Rose and Trevor wouldn't be back until this evening and since I had nothing against them it was the perfect time to put my plan into action. I climbed out of bed and dressed hurriedly. I shoved a couple of clothes in my bag, along with my diary and I slipped the vervain that I'd salvaged from the garden into my pocket. I went downstairs and into the kitchen. I dumped half the contents of the rosemary herb shaker in the bin and replaced it with the dried vervain (just in case Elijah came down early). I quickly set about making a omelette (**A/N: I think my characters have egg fetishes. They only ever seem to cook omelettes for breakfast**), making sure to add a healthy sprinkle of vervain and rosemary mixture. I also made a cup of tea, dissolving the vervain in it, then, after a few minutes consideration, I fetched one of the packets of blood from the fridge and heated it in the microwave. Yuck. But I knew I had to , because if I just left it in the tea he's smell it out. It was harder to smell vervain in blood and the vervain was vital to my plan.. From what Rose had said and the scant bits of knowledge I'd managed to glean from Elijah/books/movies/internet, vervain was toxic to vampires and would knock them out for a bit. Long enough for me to make my escape.

I took the plate and headed upstairs. I knew where Elijah's bedroom was, even if I'd never been there. I hesitated in the hallway. Could I do this? Really? Elijah had put me through hell, he'd stolen me away from my friends but could I poison him? And what would happen if it didn't work? I had all my hopes resting on this.

I knocked on the door and opened it. Elijah was asleep, his face tense even now. I wondered if he ever relaxed. I didn't want to wake him but I also didn't want to have to wait for my escape. In the end my sense of decency won out and I decided to tiptoe out. Unfortunately, as I was leaving I heard the creak of bedsprings and I sleepy voice.

"Elena?" I froze, internally groaning. God, how was I supposed to explain that I was in his bedroom? I knew I should have waited until he came downstairs! Shit, and double shit.

"Err…" I said, turning slowly. He was standing in front of me, arms folded. I tried to avert my eyes because he was just wearing boxers. Wow, this was awkward.

"I made you breakfast. And I did knock. Sorry" I said, starting to back away. He scrutinized my face for a few more seconds before speaking.

"You made me breakfast?" he said, disbelief colouring his tone.  
"Yes. My food last night didn't kill you, I thought I might as well make breakfast for you while I was in the kitchen"

"Who are you and what have you done with Elena Gilbert?" he asked. I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or actually serious.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean but if you don't want it I'll eat it myself!" I said, ready to flounce out of the room. He put a hand on my arm to stop me.

"Thank you Elena" he said "it's just a bit…odd. Considering, after last night I thought you'd be staking me in my sleep"

"I never thought of that. Would it work?" I asked.

"No. so don't try" he warned, taking the plate and cup of blood from me and sitting on his bed. I hesitantly came over and sat next to him with my cup of tea. Elijah was staring at me.  
"Do I have something on my face?" I asked.

"no"

"Then, as I've said countless times before, stop staring. It's creepy" he laughed.

"that's the Elena I was expecting to wake up to this morning"

"Don't you mean the Elena you were expecting to wake up this morning?" I corrected. He shrugged.

"That too" he drank deeply from his mug of blood and started to eat. I sipped my tea, trying not to act suspiciously.

_Suspiciously Elena? Making him breakfast was suspicious!_

I waited for some visible reaction. At first there was nothing and then he started to cough. I looked at him, trying to seem concerned.

"You okay?"

"mmhmm" he muttered indistinctly.

"My cooking isn't that bad is it?" he coughed again and retched. His body heaved and convulsed, falling off the bed and landing crouched on the floor as he carried on coughing, then he stilled. I watched for a moment. Elijah rose from the floor, his eyes murderous with rage. Shit, the vervain hadn't worn off already had it?

"What have you done?" he growled. He stumbled towards me. I sidestepped him and darted towards the door. I ran down the stairs, leaving my clothes forgotten. I glanced behind me but there was no sign of him. I breathed a sigh of relief and ran outside. I tore down the path, dodging down a side alley. I figured I'd gone far enough that I was out of immediate danger. Of course, he would probably find me again soon. It's not like I had anywhere else to go.

I wish I had my phone but Elijah had confiscated it after he'd found me trying to ring home. One of his new rules was 'no phone calls without permission'. That house felt more like a prison then a house.

I carried on down the alley, turning as I heard footsteps behind me. I had stiffened instinctively but I relaxed when I saw it was just to guys from school. I turned back to the direction I was going and jumped. A third guy was standing in front of me.  
"Excuse me" I said, trying to sidestep him. He didn't speak but shoved me roughly against the wall. The other two guys moved over to join him.

"Well what do we have here? Little girl out early" said one "who wants first go?"

"me!" said a second.  
"You went first last time" they argued like this for a little bit longer. I took the opportunity to test out the grip they had on me. I could get away, I decided. I hadn't risked the wrath of Elijah just to get attacked ten seconds later. I wriggled free and started to run.  
"She's getting away! Stop her!" cried one of the youths. I tripped on a loose paving slab and fell headlong. I rolled onto my back to see the gang leader bearing down on me. Then, he stopped. He collapsed to the ground, eyes blank and unseeing. His two friends turned to look at this assassin.

"Who the fuck are you?" declared one. I recognized the crystal clear caramel voice before he said his name.

"I'm Elijah"

**A/N: was going to make this chapter longer but I just enjoy doing cliffies. I find that cliffies make it easier to do the next chapter because I have a point already to start off. If I resolve everything in each chapter I have to come up with a new point. Does anyone get what I'm saying and agree?**


	12. Forgotten

-1**A/N: Chapter dedicated to TVDfan009 for her punishment suggestion**

"Oooh…who the fuck cares?" said the guy "Get lost or we'll deal with you first"

"really?" Elijah took a step forward. I cringed, his eyes were dangerous "well, I'd like you to release the girl first"

"Why? What's she too you?"

"Well…I believe the term is girlfriend" I couldn't resist an eye roll. I was not his girlfriend.

"Really? I thought she looked like someone with taste. Still, we'll find out after we get rid of you" the guy indicated to his buddy. They advanced on Elijah who stood there looking unimpressed.  
"Seriously, you don't want to do this" he said. They ignored him. He sighed "Oh well" he reached out and thrust his hands into their chests, pulling their hearts out. I let out a gasp. He dropped the men and their hearts and turned to me. I backed myself against the alley wall. He stood there, his eyes dark and dangerous fixed on me. Then he was gone. I stumbled to my feet, looking around. He'd gone. Why? Where? Was he going to come back or was he actually letting me go? I decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth and I ran out of the alley. At first I wasn't sure if heading home was the best idea since it meant I'd be easy to find if Elijah came looking but I realised I had nowhere else to go so I started to walk home.

About halfway there I spotted Bonnie crossing the road. She was up early. Huh.

"Bonnie!" I called. She turned, looking around but didn't notice me.

"Bonnie!" I tried again "Over here" she saw me this time and frowned.

"Sorry? Do I know you?" I thought she was being sarcastic because I hadn't spent any time with her but she turned away and walked off. Huh, that was odd. I decided to get home and find out what was going on.

The cars were in the driveway so I guessed no one had left yet. I fetched the spare key from under the doormat and unlocked the door. Jeremy was in the kitchen, eating cereal.

"hey Jeremy" I called. He jumped and turned. He stumbled to his feet.  
"Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my house?"

"Err…Jeremy, this isn't funny. It's Elena? Remember? Your sister"

"I don't have a sister"

"Jeremy…seriously? I know you're pissed off about what happened but this really isn't the time"

"JENNA!" he shouted. There was the sound of footsteps on the stairs and Jenna appeared.  
"Jenna! This girl just came in! She keeps saying she's my sister"

"Jenna, what's going on?" I asked.

"Jeremy, call the sheriff. Tell them we've got a burglar" Jeremy nodded and disappeared.

"I'm not a thief! Jenna, it's me! Elena! I'm your niece! I live here, with you and Jeremy! Please, you have to believe me!" tears were pouring from my eyes now as I tried to convince my aunt. What had happened?

Jeremy returned.

"I've called the sheriff. She'll be here soon" Jeremy said. I groaned.  
"Jeremy! I'm not a thief! I used a door key, okay? I called out to you when I came in! I'm hardly going to alert you to my presence if I want to steal stuff, am I? Please. Don't send the police after me…they'll just send me back to him"

"Who?" asked Jenna. I saw the first flashes of concern that indicated I might be getting through to her.

"Elijah. You know, evil guy who bought me off our parents"

"That's sick!" said Jeremy "Don't you dare say that about my parents you psycho!"

"it's okay Jeremy. She's obviously not very well. Just wait until Liz gets here and everything will be fine"

"I'm not insane! Jenna…please. You have to remember me!" I pushed past her and rushed upstairs. My bedroom. Surely that would wake them up.

"Jeremy! Stop her!" Jenna said. I heard Jeremy going after me and I quickened my pace. I stopped at the door and opened it, expecting to see everything as I'd left it. My room, my pictures. But there was nothing. There was the bed, but the walls were bare. I sank to the floor. Jeremy crouched down beside me.

"Look, I know you convinced that you're my sister but I honestly don't have a sister. I think it's best if you just go with sheriff Forbes, she'll send you home" he tried to help me up but I clutched his sleeves, my tears flowing fast.

"please don't send me back to him. He'll kill me"

"Who? This…Elijah?"

"Yes. He'll kill me" he looked like he was on the verge of say something but the doorbell rang.

"That's the sheriff. Come on, Elena" he helped me downstairs. I saw sheriff Forbes. I thought about protesting my innocence but there was really no point. No one would believe me.

The sheriff took me to the station, put me in a cell.  
"Elena, is there anybody you'd like me to call for you?" she asked. I could tell she didn't think I was a trouble maker. She just thought I was unstable. I thought about it, running through the list of numbers in my head. Bonnie didn't recognize me and Caroline would be no good. Jenna and Jeremy wouldn't help. Stefan…I didn't want to ring Stefan in case he didn't know me either.  
"No. there's no one"

"A young girl like yourself doesn't have anyone to call?"

"No. no one who can help anyway" I said. Of course I could have given her numbers. Numbers for her daughter, for Matt, Bonnie, Tyler, the Salvatore's. But none of them knew who I was.

I curled up on the bench and closed my eyes. I was tired, I wanted to sleep.

****a few hours later****

I was woken up by the sound of loud voices talking. I opened my eyes and peered through the bars. I could hear Sheriff Forbes talking to someone, heading in my direction.

"Thank you for coming down so quickly Mr Smith. She didn't give us your number or we would have called sooner"

"Of course, I understand. And you say you found her in the Gilbert house?" I groaned as the caramel voice reached my ears. Fucking Elijah.

"Yes. She was claiming to be a relative and that she lived there"

"Ah…she obviously isn't taking her medication"

"She's medicated?" there was no surprise in her voice.

"Yes. She suffers from delusions. Delirium, wild fits. You know the sort of thing. I thought she was taking her pills but apparently not"

"Er…if you are unable to cope Mr Smith, there are some very good support groups out there? Or…perhaps you could give her to someone who can handle her better?" Liz asked tentatively.

"no. most of the time she's fine. And I promised her parents I'd look after her. I'd hate to let them down" they turned the corner and came to stand in front of me. I glared at Elijah. He ignored me and turned to Liz.

"Is she free to go?"

"Yes, the Gilbert's didn't want to press charges for breaking and entering. She can leave" Liz unlocked the cell door.

"Good. Elena?" he extended a hand towards me.

"I'm not going with him" I said, flatly. "I'd rather rot in jail"

"Elena, come along. Now" there was a hint of menace in his voice. I sat back on the bench, arms folded.

"Elena?"

"Bite me" I snapped "You're good at that" Liz was looking confused at my reluctance. I knew that Elijah wouldn't make a public spectacle…unless he decided to compel anyone around into forgetting, which I guessed was what he'd done before. Shit. I was screwed. Well, I wasn't leaving the cell without a fight.

"Are you going to need help with her?" she asked, eyeing me.

"No, my sister's in the car. She'll help. I'll just go and fetch her" Elijah disappeared. Liz approached me, cautiously. I got up.

"Please…I'm begging you. Don't let him take me" I pleaded. She looked away "please…imagine if it was your own daughter. Would you let her get taken away? Just…lock me up I don't care but don't let him take me"

"I'm sorry" she muttered, turning away. Elijah returned with Rose. I sighed and sat down on the bench again, clamping my hands onto it. Yes, I knew they'd be able to pull me off without a second's thought but at least this way I felt like I was making it difficult. Rose came over and sighed.  
"Elena, come on. This is stupid. You know you've got to come home"

"no. I don't want to. It's not my home"

"Rose, she's not going to listen to us. Just pick her up" Elijah said, impatiently. Rose shrugged.  
"Sorry Elena" she scooped me up in her arms easily. I struggled, screaming as she carried me out of the cell.

"No! No! Put me down! I don't want to! PUT ME DOWN!"

"Thank you once again Sheriff for alerting us to her location. We were worried" Elijah said, smiling at Liz. I made a split second decision. I was already in trouble and Liz thought I was insane so what was the worst that could happen.

"HE'S A VAMPIRE! HE'S GOING TO KILL ME!" I screamed. I saw Liz's face widen in surprise. Rose carried me swiftly out to the car and placed me in the back seat. Trevor was seated there already, and she slid in next to me, effectively blocking all exits. Elijah climbed into the front seat and started the engine. I looked out of the window to see Stefan walking by. As his eyes met mine, his face widened in surprise.

"Elena?" he said. The car drove away.

He remembered me?

**A/N: if anyone's confused as to what happened, the information will be in the next chapter along with part two of Elijah's punishment. If you can't wait that long, message me or ask in a review and I'll tell you. Two questions now. One, how do we feel about Elijah compelling Elena to sleep with him as part of her punishment and two, if you were Elijah what would you make Elena do? Harsher the better.**


	13. Sex and compulsion

-1**A/N: Yeah! People said yes to the option I wanted! Which is good because I'd been drafting it in my head all night (couldn't sleep). Anyway…here's the chapter. Be warned, ROUGH LEMONS OF DUBIOUS CONSENT, and a seriously pissed off Elijah. One quick reminder, in this fic Elena's still a virgin (cause she was saving herself for Stefan).**

The car pulled up outside the house. Elijah climbed out and held open the door. Rose climbed out, pulling me with her. Elijah grabbed my arm, dragging me inside. He threw me down onto a chair.

"Trevor, Rose, leave" he snapped. Trevor disappeared. Rose hesitated.

"Erm…"

"LEAVE NOW ROSE!" he snarled. Rose shot me a quick look but left too. Elijah grabbed a glass and poured himself some scotch.

"Elena…do you have any idea how close I am to hurting you right now for what you did?"

"Which part of what I did?" I asked, unrepentant.

"Which part?" he said to himself "WHICH PART?" he threw his glass at the wall, where it shattered and came over to me, pulling me up by my arms. "I'll tell you which fucking part! The part where you poisoned me and ran off, only to get yourself almost killed five minutes later! THAT PART!"

"Well, what's done is done. I'm back, you've won. Hurrah, hurrah. Just get off me and we can continue hating each other from different sides of the room"

"You think that I'm even close to have finished with you?"

"I assumed your little stunt making everyone forget who I was, was the only trick you were going to play"

"I've not even started!" he snarled "Upstairs! Now!" he pushed me towards the stairs. I stumbled up them and started towards my bedroom, assuming he was going to lock me in or something. He grabbed my arm and diverted me.

"This way!" he tugged me towards his room and pushed me inside. He locked the door behind me.

"Now what?"

"Undress" he ordered sharply. Okay…no way was he going to do what I think he wanted to do.

"You creep! No fucking way!" I protested. He darted to my side and grabbed me by the shoulders. His nails dug into my skin and I winced.

"Elena. Don't make me repeat myself. You will do as I say" his eyes met mine and I felt a strange sensation wash over me. I nodded and he released me.

"Now, undress" I slowly removed my clothes. My mind was screaming at my body to stop but I couldn't help it. I unbuttoned my shirt and jeans, slipping them off and letting them land on the floor. I stood in my underwear, limp and unmoving. Elijah was leaning against the room, looking unimpressed and impatient.

"And the rest" he said, nodding at my underwear.

"You've made your point, can't you just let me go now?" I asked. He sauntered over and pushed me slowly against the wall.

"No, Elena, I can't. you see…the mood I'm in right now? If I don't do something to calm down, I'm going to end up breaking almost every bone in your body. And I don't think that's quite what you had in mind when you attempted your daring escape" I stared, silent. He smirked "What? No wise ass remark this time? Fine…I don't care. Now, take off the rest of your clothes" he growled. I reluctantly stripped down to my skin. He circled me, looking me up and down.

"You are a serious creep" I muttered under my breath. A second later Elijah had me pinned to the wall by my throat. I gasped desperately, clawing at his hand as I tried to get some air. He tossed my across the room so I landed on the floor, head smashing against the wall. He removed his jacket and tossed it across the room, then started to loosen his tie. I lay on the floor wincing.

"Elena…stand up" he said. I stood up, hissing in pain. He unbuttoned his shirt and moved me into the centre of the room, tugging off the shirt angrily as if the mere presence of it irritated him.

"What are you going to do?" I asked, though I already know. I just was hoping I was wrong. His eyes met mine. They were wild, burning bright with fiery rage.

"Take a wild guess Elena" he snarled.

"Please…Elijah! Don't do this!" I begged. Tears began to pour down my cheeks. He gave me a disgusted look.

"Elena, what makes you think crying is going to change my mind?" he asked.

"I know it's not" I said, quietly. "but please…I'm begging you. Don't do…this" He undid his trousers and slid them off. I looked at the floor

"Elena" he said, putting a finger under my chin and forcing me to look at him "I'm not a forgiving man. Why do you think Rose and Trevor were on the run for five hundred years? Why do you think I killed Katherine? Because they crossed me. Now you should think yourself grateful that I'm not doing something worse" I met his eye squarely, searching for some sign of good in him, something that might stop him from what he was about to do but there was nothing. He stroked my cheek almost lovingly and brought my face to his in a bruising kiss. His lips were rough against mine, as they sought to consume me. I resisted as much as I could, trying desperately to push him away, my hands hitting against his bare chest. My attempts only helped to enrage him and make him continue his assault with renewed vigour. One hand rested on my hip, holding tightly. The other moved from my cheek to toy with my breasts, squeezing and kneading them. He pulled his lips from mine, eyes meeting mine once again.

"Elena, you will enjoy this" he said. At his words, my hands which had been pressed against him, fell limp. I couldn't tell if it was a promise or a command. For either I wondered why he was bothering. He obviously didn't care about my feelings or he wouldn't be doing this.

His lips moved to kiss along the smooth skin of my throat, occasionally nibbling or sucking, leaving red and purple blotches in his wake. The hand on my hip descended, running cool fingers down my leg. I clamped my legs together, determined to resist him.

"Elena" he growled against my throat "stop fighting me. It won't do you any good" he pried my legs apart and ground himself against me. I let out a gasp as he slipped a finger inside my core. I felt myself growing damp at his touch and cursed myself.

"Good" he muttered to himself, removing the finger and pulling off his boxers. He pushed me against the wall and roughly thrust into me. I cried out as he broke through my barrier without even a second's hesitation.  
"Ahh…oh god…" my tears flowed quicker, at the pain. He didn't pause. He wrapped my legs around his waist and began to thrust into me angrily. I cried out with each painful thrust. I wasn't sure if this was because of him being a vampire or me being a virgin but whatever it was, it hurt!

"Elena, relax" he muttered in my ear.

"Relax? Are you kidding me?" I gasped. His hand gripped my waist, drawing blood. I could see my skin bruising already. The other hand went to my sex and started to stimulate my clit. I felt the first waves of pleasure beginning to join the intense pain. I rested my head against the wall, not sure what I was feeling. I felt so conflicted. Elijah's mouth found mine, kissing me passionately. His tongue slipped into my mouth, dancing with mine. I felt something sharp press against my lip, and a short stinging pain. I tasted blood in my mouth. Elijah sucked on my bloody lip, never halting in his rhythmic thrusts. He moved us at vampire speed across the room, slamming my back against the other wall. I hissed in pain but quickly forgot it in the midst of the pleasure I was receiving. All thoughts of resistance had vanished. My mind had turned to mush. My hands, which had been limp at my side, wrapped around Elijah's shoulders trying to bring him closer, nails dug into his shoulder. It was my turn to seek his lips and hold them, kissing him with as much fury as I could.

He pulled out of me, tossed me to the floor and pinned me there, arms pinned above me. He held me still, eyes devouring my slender frame, olive skin tinted darker in places where his hands had held me too tightly. Blood dripped down my leg from the cuts at my hip. He ground against me but didn't enter me again. I bucked my hips furiously against him, trying to gain friction. He smirked and entered my quickly, pounding furiously against me. I let out a fevered gasp, losing myself in the moment.

"Ah…" I gasped out as I neared my peak. He brought his mouth once more to my neck and bit down.

"Elijah!" I screamed. I felt myself fall into bliss. A second later he moaned against my throat and released inside me. I lay on the floor, lost in my post orgasmic haze. Elijah, however, was not. He pulled out of me, dressed quickly and gathered my clothes from the floor.

"Get up" he snapped. I rose, shakily, to my feet. He thrust the bundle of clothes into my arms.  
"Get dressed, then get out of my sight before I change my mind about breaking you" I dressed quickly and scurried from the room. Once in my room, I sank onto the bed and cried. How could I have let him do that? How could I have enjoyed it?

**A/N: not quite how I intended but I rather like it. How long will it take for Elijah to feel guilty? Does he need to punish Elena further? No…I think that's enough.**


	14. Guilt

-1**A/N: I'm confused by the response I got. People said they wanted Elijah to do it but when he did it they said 'I can't believe it!' okay…well, I enjoyed the last chapter. Now, I am still waiting for an answer on a question I asked a little while back. DO WE WANT KLAUS TO BE A MAIN CHARACTER? You know, creepy Elena obsession or something? Or should Klaus have just disappeared off the planet with Gabrielle?**

**Chapter dedicated to Lutty for her suggestion. I told you I'd fit it in somewhere! This chapter is going to be written out twice from Elijah and Elena's POV because it's a crucial chapter.**

**Warning, content may offend some readers.**

Elijah's POV

I was sitting in the living room, staring into space. I was officially going to hell. I was going to deepest darkest, most fiery pit of hell and when I got there Satan was going to roll out the red carpet for me because I was officially the most evil prick in the entire world. Rose entered, sat down opposite me and place a pot of rosemary on the table.

"You were too harsh on her" she said.

"Really? I had no idea" I muttered, sarcastically.  
"Elijah, she's an eighteen year old girl who's been taken from her family and friends and told that everything she believed is a lie. It's natural for her to fight you and try to run away. In fact, I'd think there was something wrong with her if she didn't!" I glared at Rose but she ignored me.

"Well" I said, thinking of a positive "at least she enjoyed it"

"Actually Elijah, that's worse"

"What? I thought the basic human philosophy was pain equals bad, pleasure equals good?"

"Yes, in most cases it does but if you hadn't made her enjoy it, she could have taken the moral high ground in this situation. Now, she's just going to hate herself for not hating you for what you did. She feels weak" I stared at Rose for a few moments before speaking.

"Rose. Get out of here and go do whatever job you're supposed to be doing"

"Fine. Just trying to give you the girl perspective" she left the room, leaving the pot of rosemary on the table. I picked it up and put my hand in, letting the plant leaves run through my fingers. There was a stinging pain.

"Oh yeah! Don't touch the rosemary. That's where the vervain is hidden!" Rose called from the kitchen. I growled.  
"Thanks for the warning!" I said, dropping the toxic plant.

"You're welcome!" she laughed. I sighed and reclined against my seat, staring up at the ceiling. I could hear Elena's heartbeat, her breathing. Her crying had stopped but I still hated myself for what I'd done.

I decided to go upstairs and talk to Elena. I was about to leave the room when Rose darted in front of me.  
"Rose, get out of the way"

"No, Elijah, seriously. Don't go up there"

"Why?"

"because you are the last person she'll want to see right now! Give her some space!"

"Rose, get out of my face" I snarled. Rose's eyes looked over my shoulder and I spun around to see Elena standing on the stairs. Her face was blank, eyes vacant.

"I'm just getting some food, if that's okay?" she said, quietly. I nodded. She walked past me, into the kitchen. I couldn't keep my eyes off her. When I turned back to Rose I saw her expression was furious.  
"What?"

"You broke her!" she snapped and stormed off. Well, if I hadn't felt like a jerk before I felt like one now.

Elena came back out of the kitchen with a plate and some cutlery. She sidestepped me, flinching as her body came too close to mine. Crap.

"Elena" I called after her. She froze, then slowly turned. She looked at me but her eyes wouldn't meet mine.

"Yes?" that one word…it sounded so hollow.

"Never mind" I was too ashamed to apologize. How could this human girl make me feel like this?

****later****

I hadn't seen any sign of Elena since she'd gone upstairs with her food and I'd chickened out of apologizing. Well, now I had managed to calm myself down and was actually going to apologize to her. I walked slowly up the stairs and hesitated at her door. I wondered, could I do this?  
I had to.

I knocked. There was no answer. I wondered if she was just ignoring me or if she was asleep. I listened. Her breathing was slow. Probably asleep then.

That's when I smelt it.

Blood.

I tried to open the door but it was locked. In my frustration, I broke it down.

"Oh no…Elena!" I cried.

**A/N: Can anyone guess what's happened?**


	15. Guilt part 2

-1**A/N: the previous chapter from Elena****'****s POV. It took me a while to write this (spent four hours staring at the screen) because at least part of her mind thinks of what happened as rape (the sane part) and while I have no problem writing fics with rape in them****…****I do have trouble writing the way people feel about it afterwards. I also have trouble writing suicidal thoughts (that really shouldn****'****t be hard for me but it is). I apologise if today****'****s writing is not up to it****'****s normal standard. I tried.**

I lay on my bed. I'd stopped crying and I really wanted to get some sleep but I couldn't get my mind to shut off. I'd been left alone and I was glad. At one point I'd heard Elijah walking down the corridor and my heart rate and tripled in speed.

I thought I heard his footsteps falter at this but decided I was just hearing things.

I curled up tighter on the bed, pressing my head between my hands. I ached, everywhere, especially between my legs.

I sighed and rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling. Nothing felt comfortable. I stood up and gently slid my clothes off. I stood in front of the mirror and examined myself, starting at the top. A gasp left my mouth as I saw the extent of the damage, already starting to reveal itself.

My lips were red and sore, from the assault they'd endured. My neck had one large hand print, from where he'd pinned my by my throat and several smaller marks, along the skin. There was also two raised marks, that where sensitive to the touch. Bite marks I realised. My shoulders had small fingertip bruises and scars from his nails. My breasts were flushed, bearing traces of his hands also. Around each wrist there was a bracelet of finger marks from where he'd grabbed me. My hips were one of the worst effected. Several overlapping hand prints on each side, accompanied by still fresh cuts that leaked blood as I moved and bruises from where I'd been slammed against walls with each furious thrust. The bruises descended down my thighs, particularly my inner thighs where they were interspersed with patches of dried blood, then stopped. I didn't need to look at my back to know that it would be more of the same, if not worse from where he'd thrown me across the room.

I saw this and I wished I could hate Elijah. Well, I hated him but not for this. Why didn't I hate him for this? Because I had enjoyed it. I felt disgusting and dirty. I wanted to wash. I headed to the bathroom, switching the water on as hot as I could. I stood under the burning stream, wanting it to burn away how I felt. I wanted to feel clean. I grabbed the soap and scrubbed frantically, until my skin was raw and nearly bleeding. Still, I felt terrible. I felt filthy. I sank to the ground and cried, tears mingling with the water of the shower and the blood from my hips and legs. I wanted to scream but I couldn't.

I had hated Elijah since he brought me here but I couldn't help being curious and wondering why he wanted me. Then he did this. I guess now I knew.

I left the sanctuary of the shower and started searching for the loosest, comfiest clothes I could find. Mid search, a wrapped package fell out of the bag (I hadn't bothered unpacking). Damon's present that I hadn't unwrapped. I slowly unwrapped it. It was a photo album. I flipped through. Hundreds of pictures, memories.

Stefan and me dressed up for the masked ball.

Stefan with his friend Lexi, at the grill playing snooker.

Bonnie, Caroline and I in our 50's outfits.

Damon and I, laughing at something.  
The Miss Mystic competition, Stefan couldn't make so Damon offered to be my partner.

Stefan dancing with me at the Lockwood's mansion.

Matt with Caroline at the grill.

Damon and me in Georgia when we went on our road trip.

Jeremy and his friend Anna at our house, while Jenna made dinner.

Stefan, Damon, Matt and Tyler in football gear after they won their first game. Me, Bonnie and Caroline in our cheerleading outfits.

I looked at these pictures and wanted to cry. They'd forgotten me. I knew Elijah had caused it and even though it clearly hadn't effected Stefan, to everyone else I didn't exist.

My stomach growled. I reluctantly left my room. I started down the stairs but paused in the middle. Elijah was at the bottom, with Rose. They were arguing.

"Rose, get out of the way"

"No, Elijah, seriously. Don't go up there"

"Why?"

"because you are the last person she'll want to see right now! Give her some space!"

"Rose, get out of my face!" he growled. I flinched unconsciously. Rose spotted me on the stairs. Elijah noticed where she was looking and turned.

"I'm just getting some food, if that's okay?" I asked, quietly. Elijah nodded. I walked slowly into the kitchen and took my time assembling some food. I could hear Rose in the other room.

"You broke her!" she growled, before appearing in the room. I ignored her and focused on my task. Eventually, she left. As I was about to leave, something caught my eye. The bread knife. I stuck it in my pocket, then left the kitchen and headed back to the stairs. Elijah was still standing there. I sidestepped him, flinching again as his body brushed mine.

I had just taken a few steps up the staircase when he called my name.  
"Elena" no…please…no. I tried not to let my fear show on my face as I turned.

"Yes?"

"Never mind" I continued up the stairs and into my room. I locked the door behind me. I ate my food quickly and sat, head rested against the bed frame. I turned the stolen knife over in my hand, watching as the sun caught and shone off the blade.

Elijah clearly wasn't going to let me go. This was my only option. I held out my wrist, and positioned the knife. My hand was shaking furiously. I had to do this. I had to.

I cut both wrists quickly and lay back, watching the blood spread.

There was a knock at the door. I ignored it. A strange calmness swept over me. The world was fading.

I was dimly aware of the sound of splintering wood, then arms wrapped around.

"Oh no…Elena!"

**A/N: The trailer for Blurred Lines is up. Check my profile for the link!**


	16. recovery

-1**A/N: Elijah's POV.**

I cradled Elena in my arms. Blood stained my shirt. Oh god, how could she have done this.

"ROSE!" I shouted. Rose appeared at the door. She gasped when she saw "Get Trevor out of the house and call an ambulance! In that order!" I snapped. She disappeared again. I watched as Elena's life leaked from her in a scarlet river. Rose arrived.  
"The ambulance is on it's way. Five minutes" I looked at Elena and knew she wouldn't last that long. I cursed quietly.  
"Rose, hold her up. Make sure her mouth is open" I instructed. She took Elena from me and propped her up. I brought my wrist to my mouth and tore open a vein. I pressed it to Elena's throat. She struggled a bit but eventually accepted my blood.

"That should keep her alive until the ambulance gets her" I said. Rose didn't reply just glared at me "What?"

"You do realise this is your fault, right?"

"Yes I know. I'm a monster and I'm going to hell…NEWS FLASH ROSE! I don't care! All I care about right now is that Elena stays alive. We can play the blame game later. Just help me get her downstairs!" we carried Elena downstairs and when the ambulance arrived I got in with her. I was silently praying to any God that cared to listen. Don't hurt her. It was my fault.

**Later**

Elena's POV

I woke up. Everything was bleary, and there was a metallic taste in my mouth.

"Where am I?" I muttered.

"Hospital" said a smooth voice. I jerked upright and groaned.  
"What are you doing here?"

"I'm responsible for you Elena. I brought you here. Technically, I saved your life"

"Shouldn't have bothered. I didn't want to be saved"

"Elena…why would you do that?"

"Hmm…that's a hard one. Could it be…possibly because you raped me"

"I didn't rape you" he said, lowering his voice.

"Call it what you want, doesn't change what happened"

"Do you know how annoyed I am with you right now?" he hissed. I put on a mock apologetic face.  
"I'm sorry. Do you want me to take my clothes off now or later?" I said.

"Shut up Elena. It's not funny. Killing yourself is not the answer! And by the way, I recommend not trying it again"

"Why?"

"Because if you try and kill yourself in the next twenty four hours, you'll become a vampire. And if that's what stops you trying again, I will force feed you my blood every day until you stop trying"

"Fine" the door opened and the doctor came in.

"well Elena, you were very lucky. Can you tell me what happened?"

"I was making a sandwich. Cut myself with a bread knife. Accident" I lied. I was only lying so I wouldn't get stuck on happy pills again. Hate them.

"You can go home in a couple of hours. Mr Smith, can I talk to you outside for a minute"

"Of course Doctor. You going to be okay here Elena?" I glared at him. He smirked and left. I knew that the doctor was probably asking him what really happened and recommending putting me on suicide watch. Great.

Elijah returned.

"You can leave, come on"

"I thought the doctor said not for a few hours"

"He changed his mind" he shrugged. I narrowed my eyes at him "Do you really want to stay in here?"

"If it keeps you at a safe distance away from me, then yes"

"Elena, come on" he sighed. I reluctantly got up and dressed. There was a bandage around each of my wrists. I scowled down at them. Stupid Elijah.

He led me outside and into the car that was waiting for us. I sighed and rested my head against the back of the seat. This was not good.

**A/N: Couldn't kill Elena or turn her for this story. Next chapter: Rose's POV, Stefan makes an appearance, Elena and Elijah get closer (?)**


	17. Treaty

-1**A/N: Not all of this chapter is in Rose****'****s POV. Just half of it. And I am already contemplating what I****'****m going to do when these are finished. I****'****ve decided I can cope with two stories at once (recently I****'****ve been posting for 11 different stories every night). So, I****'****m going to work on the Blurred Lines sequel and a new fic. Now, what couple do we want? I****'****ve got a few ideas in my head but I****'****m not going to decide anything until we pick a couple. One thing however, I am not doing another Elijah/Elena fic until this one and Thrill of the hunt is finished. And I will not do Stefan/Elena because I find that relationship boring. Ditto Matt/Elena. Any other guy is fine (I****'****m sticking to Elena fics at the moment, maybe broaden onto different girls later).**

Elijah's POV

Elena had been hiding in her room for two days since we got back from the hospital. I didn't like the fact Rose was aiding this by taking her food. Well, I knew she wasn't going to try and kill herself again because she was under a strict watch at all times. Anyway, I'd decided that tonight enough was enough. So I headed upstairs and opened her door.

"Oh…it's you"

"Yes, it's me"

"what do you want?"

"Well, it's Saturday night. I wondered if you wanted to go out" she raised an eyebrow in my direction.

"With you?" I nodded "I'll pass" I sighed and decided to try again.

"The come downstairs and we'll watch a film" she got to her feet.  
"Elijah, seriously. I hate you and I hate being here so I'm not going to do the movie and dinner thing with you"

"Elena, you can't hate me. The only actually bad thing I've done to you was the whole sex and compulsion thing. You can't blame me for bringing you here because that wasn't my decision! If you want to blame someone then blame your parents. It was their choice! I'm just trying to make the best of a bad situation, that you are making worse if you want me to be honest. If you feel like growing up anytime soon, I'll be downstairs" I stormed out of the room. I went downstairs and sat on the sofa, glaring into space.

About five minutes later I heard tentative footsteps. I looked up to see Elena hovering in the doorway.

"Okay. I'll do this but I'm not going to be friends with you or anything"

"Wouldn't dream of it. But Elena, seriously, it would make more sense if we could try and get along while we're living together and all. It would make this easier" she nodded.

"I know. So what are we watching?" she sat on the sofa next to me. Granted she made sure there was a great deal of space but this was progress.

"You pick" she selected a DVD at random and sat back down. I don't think either of us really watched the film, or at least I didn't. I was too aware of Elena sitting so close to me.

Typically, she fell asleep halfway through. I looked at her and wondered if she'd even got an hour of sleep over the past few days. I knew I hadn't made this easy for her. Hell, she hadn't made it easy for me either but I'd made it worse.

Elena moved so her head was resting against my shoulder. I stiffened automatically, unused to such contact but managed to relax and began to stroke her hair. She sighed softly. I decided that I was going to try and get along.

Rose came in and started at the sight of Elena sleeping on my shoulder. I smiled slightly.  
"I think it's going to be okay" I said, quietly.

Rose's POV

The doorbell rang. Elena was in the kitchen, eating. Elijah was with her. It was weird, one day they're fighting and the next they're strangely close. I went and opened the door.

"Stefan…well, this is a surprise"

"Rose" I'd been on okay terms with the two brothers, since I started sleeping with Damon "Where's Elena?"

"She's inside. Sorry, I can't invite you in. rules…you understand?"

"Of course. I want to see her"

"Elijah! Visitor!" I called.  
"Who?" he called back.

"Mr Salvatore" there was an excited squeal and I heard the sound of quick feet. Elena appeared, running towards the door. Elijah darted after her and blocked her way.

"Elena, remember what we discussed?" to my surprise, Elena bowed her head and nodded. Stefan looked aghast.

"Elena…I heard you were in hospital. What happened?" Elena turned to Elijah.

"Please can I go over there? I won't invite him in and he can't get me as long as I say on my side of the doorframe" Elijah nodded. I was really confused. I knew that Elijah and Elena had some kind of peace treaty going on but even so she would never act like this.

Elena approached the door.

"Stefan…how are you?"

"I'm fine. I was worried about you"

"Don't Stefan. I'm fine"

"You were in hospital Elena. I heard about what happened"

"Stefan, it's fine. Don't worry. I'm happy here"

"But…Elena…"

"Go! Just go! Okay? I'm fine! This is better, honestly" she shut the door. The instant it was closed her face fell. She turned to Elijah.

"I can't believe you made me do that" I looked between the pair of them, confused.

"Did you compel her?" I asked. Elijah shook his head.

"We agreed"

"You decided" Elena corrected "I merely went along with it so that Stefan will stay alive. Now, if you'll both excuse me I need a shower" she walked upstairs.

"What happened?" I asked.

"We agreed that Stefan would most likely leave her alone if he thought she was happy here"

"Why did she agree?"

"Because she knew that if Stefan tried to get her back I would win and he would die. She didn't want that"

"Elijah you're a dick" I snapped "She may have agreed but it wasn't willing. You have a lot to learn about teenage girls. Maybe you should try thinking of her for a change instead of yourself"

"I thought I'd been doing that"

"Elijah" I sighed "I know you're trying but right now Elena needs someone who can put this into perspective for her. Someone who isn't me or you. She needs to get to know you for all of who you are. And you definitely need to make up for what you did"

"What do you suggest?"

"I don't know. You're the boss, figure it out" I turned and wandered off.

**A/N: Yes! Elijah got told! What do you think Elijah should do to make it up with Elena?**


	18. Forgiveness part 1

-1**A/N: Elena****'****s POV, the day after the Stefan confrontation. The next chapter, maybe the next two chapters are going to be relationship building between Elena and Elijah, then the next big thing, then Klaus****'****s creepy obsession thing. He****'****s staying in the shadows at the moment so this doesn****'****t end up as Blurred Lines did.**

**A poll open on my profile for the pairing of my next fic.**

"Elena. Can you come down here for a minute?" called Elijah's voice from downstairs. I got up, confused. He'd told me that I could do as I pleased for the day and the we didn't need to spend time together. Had he changed his mind? Or was something else happening? Usually he'd just come to my room. I headed downstairs. Elijah was standing in the living room, looking unusually smug. I frowned and gave him a suspicious look.

"What have you done?" he feigned hurt.

"What makes you think I've done anything?"

"The look on your face. So…what is it?"

"We're have visitors Elena" he told me. I groaned.

"not Klaus again? Please?"

"No" he shook his head "Not Klaus. I think you'll like these visitors" I was growing curious now.

"Who?" the doorbell rang. Elijah's smile grew. I moved to answer but he stopped me.  
"Wait here. I'll get it" he disappeared into the hallway. I stood, waiting. I heard muffled voices, then Elijah returned followed by…Bonnie and Caroline. I let out a gasp when I saw them and rushed to their side.

"Oh my god! Bonnie! Caroline!" I said, hugging them "what are you doing here?"

"We thought you could use some girl time. So we're having a movie night" I looked over at Elijah who was leaning against the wall. He smiled.

"Have fun Elena" he said, "you and your friends can either sleep down here or upstairs. See you tomorrow" he winked at Caroline who giggled. He disappeared upstairs. We sat down.

"So…who's the guy Elena?" Caroline pried, gently. Bonnie rolled her eyes and began to pull bedding from her bag.

"Just some guy who I live with" I lied.

"Really? I can tell chemistry when I see it" Caroline said "And he obviously cares about you"

"No. he's a jerk" I said.

"huh. He does care" Bonnie said "Or he wouldn't have called us"

"What?" my ears pricked up.

"Yeah. He called us. Said that you needed time with your friends…so that's why we're here" Caroline said, pulling a packet of crisps from her bag along with a DVD.

"Oh…" that surprised me. I decided to change the subject quickly "What we watching?"

"Queen of the Damned" said Bonnie, rolling her eyes "Caroline's choice. We hit the video store"

"I only picked it because the guy who plays Lestat is super dreamy" she slipped the DVD into the player and we curled up under Bonnie's blanket. It felt nice to be with my two friends again. We watched the DVD, making comments about the actors throughout the film.

About halfway through, the doorbell rang. Caroline paused the film. I heard Rose answer the door and then a second later she came into the room.

"Elena?"

"Oh, hi Rose. Caroline, Bonnie, this is Rose. She…she's a friend" Rose smiled, pleased that I hadn't referred to her as 'the housekeeper'.

"Speaking of friends. There are some…very insistent young men at the door" I exchanged looks with my friends and went to the door. Tyler, Matt and Jeremy were standing there.

"Hi guys…what are you doing here?"

"We were told our girls were in the area so we decided we'd join the party" Tyler said, coming in. I sighed and pointed to the living room.

"We're in there" I said. I glanced up at the stairs, worried that Elijah would appear and evict the boys. Rose gave me a small smile.  
"It'll be fine. He's giving you tonight to be normal Elena" she said, disappearing into the kitchen. Jeremy had hesitated in the hall. I looked at him.

"Elena, I'm sorry for the way I reacted before. I was…rude"

"It's okay Jeremy. I understand. I just want us to be normal around each other" he nodded and smiled. We joined my friends in the living room. Matt and Tyler proceded to focus their attentions on Caroline, while Jeremy curled up with Bonnie. It was sweet and nice but I couldn't enjoy it properly. Every creak on the floorboards upstairs had me looking around. Eventually, I couldn't stand it any longer.

"Can you guys excuse me for a second?" I said.

**Elijah's PoV**

I watched from the stairs. Elena and her friends. She looked so happy. I hadn't seen her look like that since I took her. I was so glad that I didn't even feel mad about the uninvited boys.

"Elijah" said a quiet voice. I started. I'd been so intent on my thoughts that I hadn't noticed the subject coming up the stairs towards me.

"Oh…Elena. Why aren't you with your friends?"

"I wanted to thank you"

"What for?" I asked, feigning ignorance. She raised her eyebrow.

"You know what. Well…actually there's kind of two things right now. One is for letting my friends over and two is for not kicking the guys out"

"only tonight" I warned, then smiled "Elena, you're human. You need to be around humans. I know I've made that hard but I want you to be able to be with the people you care about. Not Stefan" I added hurriedly "but your friends. They care about you" she nodded.

"Thank you Elijah" I'm not sure quite how what happened next happened. I think it was an accident. Elena moved forward, perhaps to kiss my cheek, and I turned my head at the wrong moment. Either way, it happened.

Elena kissed me.

**A/N: This chapter was going to be longer but I hate switching back and forth from PoV and the next bit had to be in Elena's PoV so one chapter became two. The reason I took so long is…no, I don't have a reason. I couldn't be asked to type this story. I had writers block, exams coming up and annoying idiots at school.**


	19. Surprise!

**A/N: my computer has a virus so i can't update. I'm writing out my chapters on paper, and then typing them up when i get the chance. I've done a LOT of writing.**

Elena's PoV

I didn't realise what was happening until it was too late. My lips met his. It wasn't hard and bruising like the forceful, angry ones we'd shared before. This was soft, barely a brushing of our lips. Elijah pulled away first. We stood awkwardly for a few minutes. I shifted nervously before speaking.

"Err...thanks anyway" I said.

"You're welcome" he said, formally. I nodded and went back downstairs. My mind kept replaying the events over in my head.

"Are you okay Elena?" asked Bonnie "You look flushed" I pressed a hand against my cheek, feeling the heat which had pooled against my skin.

"I'm fine" I said. That satisfied most of the group but Matt raised an eyebrow at me and Bonnie gave me a curious look. I shot her a tell-you-later look back.

"What now?" asked Tyler.

"Another film?" Caroline replied. He shrugged and sorted through the pile she gave him. In the end he sighed in defeat and shrugged.

"Anything that isn't a chick flick"

"Or a musical" added Jeremy.

"Or a classic" said Matt, grinning. Caroline looked through and settled on Twilight. There was a collective groan from the boys.

"Hey, it's not a chick flick, musical or classic. I believe the term is young adult supernatural romance" she said, smugly.

"Besides" said Bonnie "You crashed our sleepover, remember?" The boys sighed in defeat and settled down. We curled up together under Bonnie's blanket. Tyler had an arm around Caroline, who had her head on his shoulder. Matt was holding her hand. Bonnie and Jeremy were curled up together. It was sweet. Comfortable. I couldn't remember when I'd last felt this relaxed.

Slowly, my eyes began to droop and I drifted to sleep.

**Next Morning**

I woke early. I lay there for a few minutes, just enjoying the feeling of being safe and happy. The TV was switched off now, a sign that Rose has been around during the night. I looked over at my friends. We'd all shifted in position during the night. I was in the armchair, legs around me, with a blanket tucked around me. Tyler, Caroline and Matt were all lying on the floor, their bodies entwined with Bonnie's blanket. Caroline's head was resting on Matt's chest, her arms around Tyler. I had the strangest image of a kitten in a basket with two larges dogs. It was kind of cute.  
Bonnie and Jeremy were lying next to each other on the sofa, hands joined between them, a new blanket over them as well.

I smiled at the sight and slipped off my chair. I headed upstairs, planning on showering before Caroline could steal all the hot water. I bumped into Rose in the hall.

"Morning" I said cheerily. She gave me a strange look.

"You're cheery" she said, suspiciously "what's happened?" I shrugged.

"I'm just...me. The old me"

"That's good"

"By the way, thanks for switching off the TV and bringing in extra blankets" she gave me a confused look.

"Wasn't me" It was my turn to be confused.

"Really? I woke up this morning and I was in the chair with a blanket on. Same with Bonnie and Jeremy. I assumed it was you" She shrugged. I sighed and headed to the bathroom.

The shower was nice and by the time i was done, Bonnie had woken up. She was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for me. I knew she wanted me to tell her what had happened last night. I didn't want to do it in the house where any vampire could hear so I led her into the garden and stopped when we were as far away from the house as possible. The ground was soaked with dew and shone in the early morning sun. I turned to my friend who was waiting expectantly for me.

"Bonnie, you're my best friend and we've always told each other everything" she nodded "Well, what I'm about to tell you will sound totally insane but it's true. You need to believe me" she nodded again, uncertain this time. I hesitated, not sure if I should tell her. I didn't want to condemn my friend to this life but I had to tell someone. She patted my shoulder encouragingly. I took a deep breath.

"ElijahandRosearevampires" it came out as a garbled mess. She looked confused so I decided to try again.

"Elijah and Rose are vampires" she didn't scream or anything. She just stared at me for a minute before nodding.

"Okay vampires. It's crazy but I believe you. If anyone else had told me I wouldn't believe it but i trust you Elena. I believe you" I shot her a semi-suspicious look.

"Really?"

"Yes. As weird as it sounds, I believe you. I guess...I'm just used to weird by now" she grinned. I smiled back and hugged her. We went inside again. Rose was in the kitchen with Matt and Tyler, making pancakes.

"Hi, where's Caroline?" I asked "You didn't leave her on the floor did you?" Matt rolled his eyes and pointed upwards, where the sound of a shower could be heard. I nodded, smiling to myself. "And Jeremy?"

"Sleeping"

"I better wake him before the food disappears" i said, stealing the plate of pancakes Tyler had been about to demolish. I took it into the living room and wafted it under my brother's nose. He woke up instantly and grinned, sleepily.

"Morning Jer" i said. He sat up and took the plate without speaking. I smiled to myself and went back to the kitchen, with Jeremy following me. This was just like old times.

"So Elena" said Caroline "You still haven't answered the big question. How did you end up here?" I felt cold horror in my veins. I'd been hoping to avoid this.

"Yeah, who is this Elijah guy?" asked Tyler. I looked from Jeremy to Bonnie to Rose, trying to come up with an excuse.

"Err...he..."

"I'm a friend of Elena's parents" said Elijah, coming in with his usual impeccable timing. Everyone jumped, except me and Rose. Jeremy looked like he might say something but I begged him with my eyes to stay quiet and he did so.

"Really? So how come none of us have seen you before?" challenged Tyler.

"I was not referring to Grayson and Miranda Gilbert when i said I knew her parents" Elijah said coolly "I was talking about her real parents" Everyone was staring at Elijah. Rose was glaring, anger practically coming off her in waves.

"E-Elena?" Stammered Bonnie. Slowly, all eyes turned to me. I felt like a rabbit in the headlights.

And like a rabbit, I ran. I ran to my room and locked the door.


	20. Story

**A/N: chapter dedicated to DarkAngelMel2 and diehardromantic.**

Elijah's PoV

We watched Elena run from the room. I traced her progress upstairs and grimaced as i heard her door slam. There was an awkward silence in the room. Rose was glaring at me. The humans looked as if they'd have been less surprised if a truck drove into the kitchen.

Bonnie broke the silence.

"We should leave" I shot her a grateful look which she ignored. She shepherded the other stunned teens from the room, except Jeremy who pushed her guiding hand away and remained, watching me with hard eyes. He waited until everyone was gone before speaking.

"Is this true?" he asked. I nodded "So...Elena's adopted. And me?"

"Not you, no"

"I'm guessing by her reaction, she didn't know" I shook my head "Then you need to fix this. And even though i don't like you, I'm prepared to tolerate you for her sake. But if you hurt her, you're dead" he walked out. I heard the front door slam and sank into a chair.

"I screwed up again, right?" i asked, without looking at Rose. I could feel her gaze burning into the back of my head.

"Yes! You screwed up big time!" she snapped. I turned to face her.

"What do I do now?"

"Fix it!" she snarled, storming out of the room. I groaned and rested my head against the chair, staring up at the ceiling. This was like walking on egg shells. I sighed. I knew I had to sort this out.

I went upstairs, grabbed a shopping bag from my room, then went and knocked on Elena's door. There was no answer but I heard her heart pick up.

"Elena!" i called.

"Go away!" she shouted. I could practically feel her, leaning against the door, just inches away from me. So near yet so far.

"Elena...please...let me in" i pleaded. I had to make this right but i couldn't if I couldn't get near her. I had to do this right.

"No!" she shouted. I decided to try a different tactic.

"Elena, if you don't let me in, I'll knock the door down!" I told her. There was silence, and then i heard the sound of a key turning. I opened the door. Elena was standing against the farthest wall. I took a step towards her but she held out a hand to stop me.

"How long have you known?"

"Since i first met you Elena. When you were three" I admitted. She closed her eyes, taking this in.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, eyes still closed.

"I thought your parents would have told you and when they didn't, I wasn't sure what to do but I thought it would sort itself out in time. I thought I'd find the right time" her eyes snapped open.

"So you decided to blurt it out over breakfast?" i grimaced.

"not quite what I had planned. I didn't intend for it to happen like that" she was quiet for a moment or two, deep in thought.

"You say you're a friend of my real parents?"

"Yes, though friend might be a bit of an exaggeration. I only know your father by name, but your mother and I are...acquaintances"

"Did you kill her or sleep with her or both?" she snapped. I still wasn't used to being spoken to in that way and I had to control my temper. I had centuries of control behind me, i demanded respect from all my followers and one eighteen year old girl ruined me completely.

"Elena, I know you have a lot of questions and I will answer them...but not now"

"Why?" she demanded, taking a step towards me.

"You've waited eighteen years, you can wait a bit longer" i said.

"NO!" she shouted.

"Yes Elena!" I snarled. My fangs came out and my eyes darkened. I saw fear flash across her face and forced myself to rein my vampire side in. I took a deep breath "Just wait until tonight and I'll explain everything"

"Everything?"

"Yes. I promise. Tonight. We'll have dinner together. Be there at seven o'clock"

"And if I don't want to?"

"Then you'll get no answers from me" i said, heading to the door.

"That's emotional blackmail" she snapped. I smiled to myself.

"I'm a vampire, Elena. I don't play nice" I picked up my bag from the hall and handed it to her "wear this" i told her, before turning to leave.

"How do you know I'll show up?" she demanded.

"I don't but you want the answers I have so I'm pretty sure you will. Seven, don't be late" I left the room and went downstairs. Rose was waiting expectantly. I ignored her and went into the living room. I sank into the armchair I'd placed Elena in last night. Rose stood, arms folded.

"What?" i asked, taking out my irritation at Elena on Rose.

"Did you fix it?" she asked. I growled silently and got up. I stood in front of her, my face near hers.

"You're the expert. You tell me" I said angrily. She fell silent, knowing not to provoke me further "That's what I thought"

I turned and stormed out of the house. I needed to clear my head. I wouldn't be able to handle Elena's attitude like this. I needed to hunt. I got in my car and drove off in search of blood.

**later**

I tapped my hand anxiously against the table top. I'd been so sure she'd show but it was half an hour late and there was no sign of her. I was hyperaware of every sound above my head, listening to each creak of the floorboards. I took a gulp of my red wine. My eyes were fixed on the ceiling.

"Elijah" said a quiet voice, making me jump (which was rare). I spun round. Elena was standing in the doorway, arms folded. She was wearing the midnight blue dress I'd given her. It clung to her form, accentuating her curves beautifully.

"I'll have one of those, thanks" she said, indicating the glass in my hand. I tore my eyes away from her body. I was trying to get her to like me! This was not the way!

"You're underage" i pointed out. She shrugged and sat at the table "Fine" I poured her half a glass and refilled my own. I plated up the food I'd prepared.

"I thought cooking was beneath men like you" she muttered sarcastically. I ignored her. She picked half heartedly at her dinner.

"Okay, I promised you that I'd give you answers. The easiest way for me to do that is to tell you my story and then answer any questions you have left" she nodded and toyed absently with a strand of hair.

"i was born in England, a very long time ago. My father was a nobleman and he wanted me to take over for him when he died. I was not pleased with this idea and rebelled against his rule. I gambled away the money I had, spent what I was given on drink and women. I was reckless. One night I provoked a man and he attacked me with his friends. They beat me to within an inch of my life and left me for dead. Klaus saved me. He changed me. In more ways than just physically. I was a killer under his guidance. The first thing I did was slaughter my entire family and those of the men who had killed me. Then Klaus and I, along with his only other 'child' at the time, a woman named Marie, travelled. I was his willing slave, doing as he bid me. Marie he killed a month after my transformation, for siring without his permission. Over time we gathered more of us. I became his second in command and a trusted advisor. I was perfectly content with this life. And then Katerina arrived" i paused, staring into my glass in contemplation.

"Katerina?" asked Elena tentatively. I'd forgotten she only knew her pseudonym.

"Katherine. Trevor found her. He was eager to impress Klaus so he presented her as a gift"

"Why would that impress Klaus?"

"because at the time we'd been searching for a doppelganger, under the illusion that her blood would break the daylight curse. Since that time we discovered that was a false rumour. Anyway, Katherine became Klaus's lover. All the men were infatuated with her but their fear of Klaus kept their lust at bay. Except me. I felt only contempt for her. True, she was beautiful but she was also cold and manipulative. Very much like Klaus only slightly more merciful at times. She was intelligent but also incredibly naive. She truly thought Klaus cared for her and she loved him deeply. Still, my persistent rejection of her advances infuriated her. So much so that she attempted to seduce me. Not for any particular reason, just simply because i denied her. Her attempt was seen by one of the lower vampires who decided to use the information to boost their status. Klaus was...irritated to say the least. In his anger he said some things, about the sacrifice. Katherine realised just what was going to happen to her and that night she fled. Trevor aided her, believing in false love that Katherine had created. Rose hid Katherine at her cottage out of loyalty to her sire. Katherine tried to kill herself, prompting Rose into feeding her vampire blood. Then she hung herself and became a vampire. She left England for America where she met the Salvatores. I fought with Klaus. He considered what had happened a betrayal from both sides. I left him. I hunted Katherine down and tortured her for what she'd done. I had been just as naive as she, when it came to Klaus. I had thought of him as a brother and blamed her for what had happened. I didn't return to Klaus, i settled down for eternity. Then, one night I received a phone call from a couple who wanted help. I met them and...I met you. We arranged a deal which, as you know, involved you. I requested the deal for many reasons, none of them good. I was free of Klaus but I was still very much his creature. I was bored and I found entertainment in human dilemma. I also rather like the idea of a human...for lack of a better word, pet" she glared at me "Don't look at me like that. I told you, Klaus had shaped who I was. And, at that point, I was like him. Maybe just a touch less cruel. Anyway, I stayed in town to watch over you. At first it was an obligation, protecting an investment, then gradually i grew to genuinely care for you Elena. And i started to research, about your real parents. Your father was easy to find. He still lives in town. Your mother was difficult. Her name was Isobel Flemming and as far as I could discover, she was dead. Eventually I learnt from her husband, through compulsion and alcohol, that she was kill be a vampire. I theorised that she was still alive or alive-ish at least. And she was. I found and her, and now she's one of my most useful contacts" i fell silent, waiting for her to speak.

"And my father?" she asked.

"John Gilbert"

"Oh"

"Any other questions?"

"What was the deal? That you made in return for me" Ah. That was the question I'd been hoping wouldn't come up.

"Elena..." i said, reluctant to tell her. I was trying to fabricate an excuse in my head.

"WHAT WAS THE FUCKING DEAL?" she snapped.

"Your brother was taken by vampires. They wanted him back" Elena was quiet. I saw tears forming in her eyes. I knew that before she'd felt betrayed but not she clearly felt a thousand times worse. I moved to her side. She fell into my arms, burying her face in my shirt as she sobbed. I held her, rocking her gently.

"I'm sorry Elena. I didn't want to tell you" I whispered. She pulled away and looked up at me with tear streaked eyes.

"No, this is right. I needed to know. Thanks you for telling me" the words were forced and emotionless.

"Elena, please don't cry" I said, more affected by her tears then i ever thought possible. She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "Elena, i know you don't like being here and I was a bit delusional with what i expected when i brought you here. No more, i promise. I know i can't repair all the damage I've done but I'll never stop trying. I hope we can at least be friends?" I felt like an awkward teen when I said those words. She looked me square in the eye, all tears stopped.

"Is that what you want or are you being nice?" I wasn't sure how to respond. What i really wanted I didn't dare say. I decided to settle for a half truth.

"I want you to be happy" She sighed, sensing my evasiveness.

"It's hard Elijah. I'll try but i don't know if i can be happy, knowing what I do. That neither set of parents wanted me" her voice broke at the end. I hugged her tighter "No one wants me" she said, voice muffled.

"That's not true Elena. I want you, here with me" i said, quietly. I felt her stiffen.

"Really? I'm not just here as a pet or because you got bored?"

"No. You're here because I care about you" I said. I meant it too "Now, since you didn't eat anything and your food's probably stone cold by now, let's get takeout"

"i'd like that" she said, smiling.

**A/N: Not quite the romantic evening I had planned but hey, it was a good chapter. A long chapter! By my standards anyway.**


	21. Meetings:Elena

**A/N: This is one of those chapters that i repeat in both character's PoV's. This one is Elena and it takes place a few days after the end of the last one.**

"Hey" i called "You're up late" Elijah took the cup of coffee I offered him and sat opposite me.

"I'm not late, you're up early. And that's far stranger"

"I had a desire to watch the sunrise" i lied.

"What's wrong?" he asked, seeing through my transparent attempt at deceit. I pulled the envelope from my pocket and place it on the table in front of me. He frowned. "What's that?"

"It was pushed under the door last night. You were asleep already. I went to get a glass of water and i found it. It's from Stefan"

"Well, that's natural. Only to be expected" he said, keeping his face carefully blank "What did he say?"

"The usual. But there's a note for you inside" I opened the envelope and pulled out two pieces of paper. One was folded with an elastic band round it. I handed it to Elijah. His eyes scanned over the paper, his frown growing.

"What did he say?" I asked, nervously.

"He wants to meet with me" he said, tearing the paper into shreds.

"Why?"

"Not sure. He didn't say"

"Are you going to?"

"Do you think I should?"

"Stop answering questions with questions" I sighed "I don't want him to get hurt and I know that if he tries to fight you, he'll lose"

"Maybe he just wants to talk. He seems...reasonable"

"Yeah, but Damon isn't" i said, chewing my bottom lip. "What if they're both there and they ambush you or something?" he considered for a minute before nodding.

"Okay, I've got an idea" he pulled my phone from his pocket and dialled Stefan. He put it on loudspeaker so i could hear. Stefan picked up on the first ring.

"Elena? Is that you?" his voice was mixed between happiness at the idea of me calling and concern that I was.

"Stefan..." I began, but Elijah cut me off.

"Mr Salvatore. We got your message. I just wanted to warn you, that if you have dishonourable intentions towards me, I'll kill you and your brother. Clear?"

"Crystal. And I don't have dishonourable intentions. I just want to talk. That's all"

"Good. When and where?"

"Ten am, the church ruins" the phone disconnected. Elijah looked at it for a moment before handing it to me.

"Here, I'll call you when it's finished. Stay here" I nodded. He made for the door but I grabbed his arm.

"Please don't hurt him Elijah"

"I will not touch him unless provoked. You can't say fairer then that. And if he does attack me, I'll try not to hurt him"

"Thank you" He smiled softly and placed a hand on my cheek.

"Stay inside. Remember, no one can get in without your permission" i nodded. He kissed my cheek and left. I sat back down at the table, toying with my letter. I was worried about Stefan and I was kind of worried about Elijah too. I sighed and headed upstairs to get dressed. I knew I looked terrible. Last night i'd got no sleep and that made me slow and zombielike.

I dressed quickly, then sat on my bed by the window. I stared out. A large black crow was sat on the tree outside, eyes fixed on me. Something about it felt...wrong. it made me feel self conscious, like I was being watched.

"Shoo!" I snapped. The bird just watched me "Go away bird!" When it didn't move, i slammed the window shut and turned away. I could still feel it watching me, beady eyes burning into my back.

I left the room and began to pace around the house, searching for anything that would occupy my attention for more than a few seconds. I tried to read a book that had been left on the side but my mind persistently wandered. God...

The doorbell rang. I jumped off the sofa and froze, eyes fixed on the wood.

"Elena! It's Damon!" called a familiar voice. I breathed a sigh of relief. If Damon was here, it meant he wasn't with Stefan provoking Elijah into a fight. Phew "Can you open the door?" I hesitated, uncertain whether to or not. I took a tentative step forward "look, I'm worried about Stefan. I can't find him and he won't answer his phone" I opened the door. Elijah had said I shouldn't go out. He hadn't said anything about me standing inside with the door open. Damon looked genuinely upset.

"What's happening?" i asked.

"Elena, I'm really worried about Stefan. He just took off last night and I haven't seen him since"

"He left a letter here. He wanted to meet Elijah"

"Where? Oh god...he's going to get himself killed!" I took a step forward, wanting to comfort him.

"The church ruins? But Elijah promised he wouldn't hurt him"

"And you believe him? God, you're dumb Elena!"

"Oi!" i said, outraged. He smirked, suddenly all traces of sorrow gone from his face.

"You didn't even noticed that you stepped outside. That was really dumb" I looked at my feet and saw that they rested on hard ground. I instantly made to step back but Damon grabbed me "I knew I'd never get you to invite me in. It was a lot easier to get you to come out" Then he knocked me hard over the head and everything went black.


	22. Meetings:Elijah

**A/N: repeat of last chapter. Elijah's PoV.**

"Hey" Elena called as I entered "You're up late" She held out a cup of coffee and i took it gratefully. I sat opposite her. She seemed kind of upset. She was still dressed in her fluffy pyjamas and dressing gown, her hair was unbrushed and there was a worried look in her eye.

"I'm not late, you're up early. And that's far stranger" i said.

"I had a desire to watch the sunrise" She said. I narrowed my eyes. She was clearly lying. Something was up.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Elena pulled an envelope out of her pocket and placed it on the table without a word. I stared, frowning "What's that?"

"It was pushed under the door last night. You were asleep already. I went to get a glass of water and i found it. It's from Stefan" oh. I suppressed a scowl.

"Well, that's natural. Only to be expected" I tried to think that way but it was hard. I wanted to tear Stefan apart for even thinking about Elena "What did he say?"

"The usual. But there's a note for you inside" she opened the envelope and extracted two pieces of paper. One she handed to me. I read it. It was very short.

_**Elijah,  
Need to talk.  
Stefan.**_

"What did he say?" Elena asked, her expression nervous. I wondered why.

"He wants to meet with me" I said, tearing the paper to shreds to take out my frustration.

"Why?"

"Not sure. He didn't say"

"Are you going to?" her eyes seemed to be growing wider and more afraid with every passing second.

"Do you think I should?" i asked, hesitant.

"Stop answering questions with questions" She sighed "I don't want him to get hurt and I know that if he tries to fight you, he'll lose" that was true. As much as I hated Stefan, I knew he loved Elena and Elena cared deeply for him. If it came to a fight, he would definitely lose.

"Maybe he just wants to talk. He seems...reasonable" i said. Of course, his brother was slightly less reasonable.

"Yeah, but Damon isn't" Elena said, her thoughts in synch with my own. "What if they're both there and they ambush you or something?" I thought for a minute, formulating a plan.

"Okay, I've got an idea" I pulled Elena's phone from my pocket where I'd stashed it and found Stefan's number. I put it on loudspeaker so Elena could hear everything that was said. Stefan picked up on the first ring. So eager...i scowled.

"Elena? Is that you?" He sounded excited and nervous. I guessed the excitement was directed at Elena and the nerves were because of me.

"Stefan..." Elena started. I cut her off. I just needed her to say that so he knew she was here.

"Mr Salvatore. We got your message. I just wanted to warn you, that if you have dishonourable intentions towards me, I'll kill you and your brother. Clear?" i asked.

"Crystal. And I don't have dishonourable intentions. I just want to talk. That's all" he said, his tone reminding me of a sulky child.

"Good. When and where?" i asked, wanting this conversation to be done as quickly as possible. I kept an eye on Elena at all times. She seemed upset and nervous still.

"Ten am, the church ruins" the phone disconnected. I felt like smashing the tiny machine but decided against it and handed it to Elena.

"Here, I'll call you when it's finished. Stay here" She nodded. I made for the door but she grabbed my arm.

"Please don't hurt him Elijah" she said, her eyes wide and pleading. I felt my anger melt away at the sighed.

"I will not touch him unless provoked. You can't say fairer then that. And if he does attack me, I'll try not to hurt him" i compromised. I was hardly going to stand there and let him attack me. At least this way she'd understand that any violence on my part was self defence.

"Thank you" I smiled and placed a hand on her cheek.

"Stay inside. Remember, no one can get in without your permission" she nodded. I kissed her cheek and left.

I didn't like leaving Elena but I felt as if I had to hear what Stefan had to say, at least so that I could set him straight about the fact that Elena was never coming back to him. I just wished that Rose was around to look after her. Hell, i'd even take Trevor right now! I wouldn't put it past the Salvatore's to try something while I was out.

I got into my car and drove out of town, into the woods. I knew the church ruins well. There was a tomb beneath it, where quite a few vampires were trapped. I had a faint idea why Stefan had asked me to meet him there. He probably intended to try and trap me inside when I refused whatever he planned to demand. I didn't believe for one second that he 'just wanted to talk'.

I left my car and went to the ruins. Stefan was waiting, leaning against a rock.

"Elijah. Glad you could make it" he said, keeping his voice cold and deadpan.

"Stefan" I said, inclining my head. "Where's your brother? I assumed he'd be here too, or is his too busy fucking my housemaid?"

"No. He's just not here"

"Oh...shame"

"I'm assuming you can guess why I asked you to meet me?"

"I think it's safe to say your reasons can be summed up in one word. Elena"

"Exactly. I know she didn't mean what she said to me before. You made her. She's not happy and we both know it"

"yes, I did make her say those things but you're wrong about her not being happy. She just needed time to adjust"

"People can learn to tolerate almost anything when they live with it for long enough. But she'll never be happy. And she'll never love you. Not willingly"

"That's what this is all about? You're worried that Elena's going to fall madly in love with me and forget all about you? So you're trying to mark your territory"

"No point. She'll never love you"

"So you've said...repeatedly. hmm...how come that she never slept with you then?"

"What? What's that got to do with anything?"

"Answer the question. Why?"

"We were waiting..."

"Ha. She didn't want to, did she?" i laughed coldly. I knew I was being mean but this was the vampire side of me. The side I'd suppressed as much as possible while I was with Elena. Stefan snarled, his fangs exposed. I rolled my eyes. Young vampires were so cocky and self confident. He lunged at me. I grabbed his arm and flipped him so he landed on the floor. I remembered my promise to Elena and grimaced.

"Don't try it again Stefan. You won't win" i said, holding him still. He shoved me off and rose to his feet. He grinned.

"I've already won" he said, smiling. I stared at him, confused for a moment. Then everything became clear. I turned and darted away, abandoning my car in my desperation to get back home. I was an idiot. I should have realised!

I reached the house. The door was open, the house was empty. Elena was gone.

**A/N: next update might take a while. Will keep writing but don't know when i'll be able to get to a computer. **


	23. Damon

-1**A/N: Elena****'****s PoV. This is a bit of a feeling centric chapter****…****I was watching the last episode of TVD. Made me cry. **

I woke up. My head hurt like hell and there was a bitter taste in my mouth. I was lying on something soft in a darkened room. The only light came from a small gap in the curtains. I groaned.

"Where am I?" I muttered.

"somewhere safe where you can't get in any trouble" said Damon's voice. I jerked upright.

"Damon! What the fuck? You kidnapped me!" I said, leaping from the bed. My dramatic exit was ruined by my feet getting caught in the blanket and tripping me over. I landed on the floor in a heap with a cry of pain.

"Are you okay?" Damon said, appearing at my side and untangling my feet.

"Like you care!" I said, pulling sharply away from him. He looked almost hurt by my rejection. He stayed crouched on the floor as I moved away from him.

"I do care Elena. That's why I'm doing this!" I moved against the wall, wrapping my arms around my knees.

"So…you and Stefan cooked this up? Get Elijah out of the house and take me?"

"Well, apparently your kidnapper has less intelligence then I gave him credit for. I didn't think it would work"

"Damon. The door was unlocked. The house was empty. I could have left at any time. He didn't kidnap me"

"Do you even know the definition of the word kidnapper? Because he definitely fits it!" he said.

"Yes I know the meaning of the word. To take someone by force. Which is pretty much what you did" I said, glaring at him.

"That was for your own safety"

"I'm sure Elijah felt the same" I snapped back "You're just like him. And I'm sure that as soon as he realises what's happened, he'll come and get me"

"He can't get in the house even if he does come here and if for some reason he manages to make it inside, Alaric's waiting downstairs to deal with him" my ears pricked up at that.  
"Alaric? You mean, our history teacher? Please don't tell me he's a vampire?"

"He's not. He was a vampire hunter but he decided that me and Stefan were the lesser of two evils" he shrugged "so if your…keeper makes it to you, he'll be dead" I jumped to my feet.

"You can't do that Damon!" I said "You can't kill him! He's done nothing wrong!" He also rose, taking a step towards me.

"Wrong Elena!" he said. He reached out and tenderly cupped my cheek "he took you away from me!" there were tears in his eyes and his tone was torn between anger and sorrow. He pulled me against him, cradling me. "Elena, I couldn't bear to lose you. Not to him"

"Damon" I pushed him away and met his eye "I'm not yours to lose. I care about you…but I told you before, we don't belong together" anger flashed in his eyes.

"Yes, because you were with Stefan! And now you're not, you're with Elijah! When is it my turn Elena? When do I get to be with you and show you that I care?" he said, his voice rising in anger.

"I'm not a toy Damon, you don't get a turn!" I said "I'm a person. I have feelings"

"I'm a person too Elena but you don't think about my feelings…" he turned away from me. I could tell by his tone, his clenched hands and movement that he was furious.

"Damon…I don't want to hurt you. I never did" I said, grabbing his arm. He snapped around, the movement knocking me backwards. I collapsed onto the floor, wincing as sparks of pain shot through me.

"Ouch" I said. Damon came over.

"Are you okay?" I felt the weirdest sense of déjà vu, as if we were stuck in a loop, unable to break free. I kept silent, staring into space. Damon called my name. I looked at him vacantly. He sighed.

"Elena I didn't want to do this but we were worried. Elijah has a bit of a reputation in the vampire world. He's dangerous"

"So are you. You're a vampire too!"

"Yes but I would never hurt you Elena" I pointed at him and then at myself. He groaned "That was an accident"

"Yes well Elijah would never intentionally hurt me" I said, though my voice had slightly less conviction then before. I thought about everything Elijah had done to me. Taking me, keeping my prisoner, making everyone in town forget about me, forcing me to sleep with him. He'd hurt me so badly.

Damon saw the pain in my eyes and nodded as if he'd won something.

"See? I would never do that Elena. Neither would Stefan. We love you"

"Damon" I sighed, resting my head on his shoulder "this isn't fair"

"I know. This was all forced on you Elena. You weren't ready" I looked at him.

"Not that Damon. I can handle the vampires…the arrangement…I can handle my parents not wanting me but I can't handle you thinking you know what's best for me. I'm sorry" I made to leave. He grabbed me and spun me around.

"Elena…I…I love you" he said, his eyes filled with sincerity "I just needed you to believe it" And then he kissed me.

**A/N: DUN DUN DUH!**


	24. True love unspoken

-1**A/N: Oh no! Where's Elijah, I hear you ask! He's coming, don't worry. This is an Elijah/Elena fic after all, not a Damon/Elena fic. **

**To Forbiddenluv, Damon is not going to catch a break anytime soon. However, when I write a Delena fic, I'll make sure he gets treated well.**

I pulled away.

"Damon…no…"

"Elena…I want to be with you" he said. He moved forward to kiss me again when a shot broke through the silent house. Damon spun around, pushing me behind him. He was instantly alert, his body tense and ready to react. I peered round him and saw Elijah standing at the door.

"Elijah" I breathed. I was so quiet I could barely hear my own voice but he heard me some how. His eyes flickered to me, looking over my body, searching for injury, before returning to Damon.

"Mr Salvatore" he said, his voice dripping venom "That was a rather clever plan, I must admit"

"Not really. An idiot could have seen through it" Elijah's lip curled at the insult and his eyes narrowed.

"Now…to business. You have something of mine. I want her back" his eyes once more met mine, sending a silent apology for his term of speaking.

"She's not yours" snarled Damon, his hand wrapping around my wrist painfully tight. I winced. Elijah's eyes became angrier then before, as my pain upset him.

"Let her go Damon" Elijah said, icily "You're hurting her" Damon looked at my arm and saw bruises already forming where he was holding me. He released me instantly. I stumbled away from him, backing myself into a corner out of the way. Elijah darted forward instantly and grabbed Damon by the throat. He threw him against the wall. Damon landed with a crash, but jumped to his feet straight away as if the throw hadn't hurt him. I watched in silence as the two vampires fought. Furniture smashed, the floor shook. Elijah seized Damon by the throat once more, pinning him against the wall. He pulled a sharpened stick from his pocket. I let out a quiet sob, realising what was about to happen. Elijah's head jerked in my direction. His eyes met mine. I rose to my feet.

"Please" I whispered. I wasn't sure exactly who I was pleading to. Elijah sighed, nodded to me and released Damon, who sank to the floor. He turned to face me and offered me his hand. I was about to take it but out of the corner of my eye I saw a figure moving stealthily into the room. Mr Saltzman, the history teacher with a wooden stake in his hand. I realised what was happening as he rose the stake high above him. My eyes widened in fear.

"No!" I cried out. Elijah turned. The stake plunged into his heart. He let out a strangled groan and fell to his knees. I watched in horrific fascination as his skin greyed, the veins standing out lividly. His mouth moved silently to form one last word. Elena. Then he collapsed in a heap. I stared, unable to move or speak.

"You okay?" said Mr Saltzman. I thought he was talking to me but I realised his attention was on Damon, who nodded in response. He got to his feet.

"Nice save Ric. But would you mind telling me how he got in?"

"I don't know. I can only assume he got an invite somehow. All I know is I turned around and he broke my neck" I let out a small squeak at that, which reminded them I was in the room.  
"Elena? Are you okay?" Mr Saltzman asked. I stared at him, my eyes blank.

"You…you…killed…" I stammered out the words, unable to comprehend. He misunderstood my fear and sorrow as relief. He patted my arm reassuringly.

"It's okay. He can't hurt you. You're safe" I batted his hand away and rose to my feet, anger lending me strength. I could see the lies Stefan and Damon had been spinning.

"You killed him! Why?" I demanded furiously "he wasn't going to kill Damon. He had stopped"

"Elena…we did it to get you back" said Mr Saltzman.

"Don't waste your breath Ric, he's got to her" said Damon, rubbing his neck "Can you fetch me a blood bag from the freezer? That really hurt" Mr Saltzman nodded and left. I remained where I was, staring at Elijah's body. Slowly, I turned to face Damon.

"Why did you do it?" I whispered. He sighed and came over to me.

"Elena, I was willing to do anything to get you back. He was never going to let that happen. He had to die"

"Who's next on your hit list then? Stefan?" He looked taken aback.

"What?"

"Well, Stefan is the next person with any claim on me. Are you going to kill him too?"

"Of course not! You're being ridiculous!"

"No Damon. You said he had to die so you could get me back. Well it didn't work. You just lost me forever" I said. I turned and marched out of the room. He made no move to stop me. I felt tears of anger spilling down my cheeks. I now knew who I'd wanted to stop in that fight. I hadn't wanted Elijah to get hurt.

I was almost at the door when I heard Damon call out to me.

"Elena…please…" I turned, saw the hurt in his eyes. I wanted to rush and embrace him, apologize but I wouldn't let myself. I shook my head, the tears flowing faster.

"No Damon. It's too late. It's done" I turned away once more and left the house. I had no one to turn to, no where to go but I didn't care. I just walked.

My feet carried me back to the house, Elijah's house. My house. The door was still open. I went inside, and closed the door, blocking out the world. Rose and Trevor weren't around and I was glad. I didn't want to talk to anyone.

I walked up the stairs, hesitated outside my room but moved on. That wasn't where I needed to be. I reached Elijah's room. I remembered the last time I'd been there and my hand faltered on the handle. I pushed my memories aside and went in. It was neat and tidy as always but there was a shirt draped over the desk chair. I picked it up and wrapped it around me. Then I climbed onto his bed and curled up on top of the covers, using the shirt as a blanket. It smelt of red wine and expensive cologne. Him. I felt fresh tears in my eyes as I lay there. I quietly cried myself to sleep.

**A/N: I'm crying too. Sob…poor Elena. I'm so mean…**


	25. Return: part one

-1**A/N: To lemon or not to lemon! That is indeed the question! But there's only one answer right?**

Rose woke me up. She didn't seem surprised to see me in Elijah's room, and something told me she knew what had happened the day before.

"Elena, I know you probably don't want to see him but Stefan's at the door. He won't leave until he sees you" I groaned.

"Please tell him that I don't want to talk" I said.

"I've tried. He's not listening. I don't particularly want him to camp out on the doorstep" she said. I sighed and climbed out of bed, keeping the shirt wrapped around me. I slowly traipsed down the stairs and stopped in front of the front door. I leant against the frame and stared blankly at Stefan.

"Elena" he said "I was worried. Damon said you just took off"

"After he helped kill Elijah, yes I did. And I don't want to talk to you Stefan" I said "please leave"

"Elena, I did what was best"

"What you thought was best. Stefan, I have my own thoughts and feelings. I can make my own decisions"

"Elena…Please"

"No. I don't want to ever see you again Stefan" I slammed the door shut and turned away. Rose was standing nearby.

"Are you okay Elena?" she asked.

"No. it was horrible Rose, seeing them kill him. I'll never get that out of my head" she wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"It'll be fine Elena. Don't worry. Do you want anything?" I shook my head.  
"Can I go back to bed?" she nodded.

"I'll see you later" she said, smiling sympathetically. I slipped upstairs back to Elijah's bedroom. I felt safer there, like his ghost was watching me. Did vampires even have ghosts? Did ghosts even exist?

As soon as I entered I froze, hearing a noise coming from his adjoining bathroom. I crept silently towards it, picking up a sharp silver letter opener from the table in case I needed to defend myself. I pressed my ear to the door and heard the distinct sound of the shower. Okay, someone had broken in and was showering? Huh, weird.

I considered shouting for Rose but decided against it. Instead, I wrenched open the door and stepped inside, the letter opener in front of me. There was a man, in a towel standing by the mirror.

"Elena, put that down before you hurt yourself" said a familiar caramel voice. My eyes widened.

"E-E-Elijah?" I stammered. He turned and smiled.

"What? You didn't think that I'd just leave you did you?" he said. I stared. He laughed quietly "Elena, it takes a lot more then a wooden stake to kill a vampire like me. Now, can we move this conversation to a more appropriate venue" I nodded, still slightly stunned by his sudden reappearance. We went back into his bedroom and he hunted down some clothes. I averted my eyes as he dressed, which made him laugh. When I looked back he was in trousers. His muscled chest was still damp, glistening with moisture from the shower, but that wasn't what drew my attention (**A/N: It drew mine!). **Instead, I focused on the large scar over his heart. I couldn't help myself. I stepped forward and touched it gently. He let out a slight hiss.

"Does it hurt?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Not much"

"Did it hurt when they…?" I couldn't say the words.

"Killed me? Yes, that hurt a bit but I've had worse. Besides, I'd happily do it again if it meant I got you back"

"That's sweet" he smiled "ridiculous, corny but still sweet"

"What can I say, I'm a romantic" I sighed and sat down.

"Elijah I have a confession to make" He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really?"

"I did something stupid" I said, chewing nervously on my bottom lip.

"What?"

"I think I fell in love…with you" I admitted "When you and Damon were fighting…it was you I didn't want to get hurt. I was worried about Damon, sure but I was more worried about you" I stroked his cheek, trailing my fingers so lightly they were barely there.

"Elena…" he whispered. His hand stopped mine and he held it. I met his eye, silently pleading. I didn't want to talk. I was just happy he was alive. He nodded and wrapped an arm around me.

"You need to sleep. You look like a panda" I let out a half laugh and rested my head in the crook of his neck. For now I was happy to just be.

**A/N: No lemons in this chapter. Do we want some? Let me know!**

**Predictions for upcoming chapters: Gabrielle returns, Klaus starts his new obsession and a surprise visitor arrives…(any guesses? Clue, reread chapter 20 VERY carefully. You'll see what I slipped in there)**


	26. Return: part two

-1**A/N: I****'****ve been slacking. Sorry. Basically, I couldn****'****t be motivated into writing****…****I understand bad reviews but I prefer constructive criticism to ****'****your writing is shit****'****. So that, added to revision, meant I did zero writing. Please forgive me?**

**For those who read Mating Season and enjoyed it, and have been asking me for more, It is only a two shot, and I would prefer it to stay that way, but later I may write more.**

I wanted to sleep but couldn't. I was drifting in a warm place between awake and asleep.

"Elijah…?" I whispered.

"Yes?" he asked, tone amused and sleepily.

"Did you know you'd come back?"

"Yes" I sat up and shoved him. "What?"

"You knew and you didn't say anything? You let me worry when you knew?" I said, outraged. He sat up and looked at me.

"I didn't really get a chance what with the whole, I rescue you and get staked thing" he sighed and stroked my cheek "please forgive me?" I looked away.

"no" he captured my face in his hand and kissed me.

"now?"

"no" I said, trying to keep a straight face. He straddled me and kissed along my neck. It was odd but it felt right. I shook my head "I will not forgive you! I was really worried!" he kissed down my shoulder and began to unbutton his shirt, that I was still wearing. He pulled it off and placed his hands on my hips, looking me in the eye, his expression concerned.

"What?" I asked.

"well…last time something like this happened, you accused me of raping you and tried to kill yourself" he pointed out. I sighed.

"Yes I did. But that was then…now…" I reached out and stroked his cheek "It's fine…just…please, no compulsion and no slamming me against walls"

"Deal" he said. He kissed my fingers and smiled at me. I smiled back at him. He kissed me gently. That second, I felt completely whole, in a way I hadn't since my parents had died.  
He continued, slowly removing my top, his hands slowly caressing my skin. I looked at him through hooded eyes, watching him intently. He smiled and kissed me, his lips descending down my chin, along my neck. He sucked slightly on my pulse point and I moaned quietly. His teeth grazed my skin, making my stomach tie itself in knots. One of his hands rested on my waist, the other came up to toy with my breasts. His mouth released my neck and met my lips, capturing them in a fiery kiss. I entwined my fingers in his hair, holding him close. I trailed my fingertips over his muscular chest, stopping at the edge of his trousers. His passionate kisses increased as I slipped my hand inside his suit trousers, feeling the bulge of his erection through his briefs. He growled against my lips as I rubbed him gently. I felt a kind of thrill that I was doing this and wondered how the hell I knew what I was doing.

I withdrew my hand and unzipped his trousers. He released my mouth and moved to tug off his trousers. I sat up too and kissed along his throat, as he had done earlier.

"I think…" I said, punctuating my words with kisses "That…I'm still…wearing…too many…clothes" he smiled at my words and stroked my cheek tenderly.

I found myself marvelling that this Elijah was so different to the one who'd attacked me angrily in this same room just over a week ago. Everything had changed in such a short amount of time.

I slowly undid my jeans and kicked them off. They landed in a heap on the floor. I wrapped an arm around Elijah's neck, drawing him close to me again. He pushed me gently back so I was lying down. His hands explored my body, worshipping me as if I was a goddess. When they reached the edge of my knickers, he slowly removed them and they joined my jeans on the floor. He slipped a finger inside my damp centre, moving torturously slow. I moaned as he added a second finger and continued to move them slowly in and out of me.

He pulled out and I whimpered at the loss of his touch. He silenced me with a hard kiss, removing his briefs. He hovered over me, allowing me to feel his body without his weight. I ran my fingers along his chest, feeling his hardened muscles. He smiled at me, his eyes seemed to be searching for some sort of permission. I moved my hand to his cheek and smiled reassuringly back. He kissed my fingers and moved into me. I let out a quiet gasp. It hurt a bit, a faint ache, but nothing compared to last time. Elijah paused, allowing me to adjust. I nodded to him and he started to move again, slow at first and then faster. I moaned with each thrust, loving the sensations that washed over me.

"Elena…" he growled out my name as he moved, chanting it as if it were a prayer. He pulled out, and I halted him before he could re-enter me. His face flashed concern. I rolled us over so he was lying on his back and sank myself onto his member. I closed my eyes, losing myself in the pleasure, as I bounced up and down. Elijah's hands came up to toy with my breasts, palming the flesh, eliciting mewls of delight from me.

"Elijah…God…" I moaned, my hands covering his, controlling his actions. I felt myself drawing near my limit. I moved myself faster, desperately trying to reach my peak.

"Elena…I…can't…" Elijah growled out. I moved his hand down to pinch my clit. It was my undoing. I screamed out as I came furiously. I almost collapsed on top of Elijah but he held me up and moved me a few more times, stimulating his own release.

"Elena!" he cried. He removed me from him and tenderly lay me on the bed, my body entwined with his. He was looking at me fondly. He opened his mouth to speak when there was a knock at the door.

"Err…I don't want to disturb you guys but you have a visitor" called Rose tentatively through the wood. Elijah chuckled under his breath and called back "Be down in a minute Rose!" I sighed.

"Do we have to get up?" I asked.

"Yes…" he kissed my cheek "Come on" He got up and picked up his clothes. I reluctantly joined him, and then we both headed downstairs. Rose was standing, looking nervous. There was a familiar redheaded girl sitting on the sofa, idly inspecting her nails. She didn't look up as we entered but she spoke.

"Huh, it's about time you got down here. Another second of listening you two going at it like rabbits and I'd have gone insane" she looked up, an amused smile on her face. My eyes widened.

"Gabrielle?" I gasped "Oh my god! What are you doing here?" I rushed to embrace the girl. I hadn't known her for long but she understood me better then most, because she knew what I was going through. She hugged me back and smiled. I glanced over at Elijah who was looking at her, trying to place where he knew her from. For a vampire, he had a terrible memory.

"You're…Klaus's…witch?" he said, eventually.

"Was Klaus's witch" she said, smirking "Not anymore. That's kind of why I'm here" she sat back down and indicated for us to sit too. Elijah sat and I sat next to him.

"So…he let you go? I've never known him to do that before"

"He didn't let me go. I left, but I know he won't care because he's got something new to focus on" her smile disappeared.

"What?" Elijah asked.

"Elena" she said, reluctantly. Her eyes met mine "Since we came here, he's become…how to put it…obsessed with you. He hasn't said anything but I see it in his mind. He will do anything to get you…kill anyone" her eyes moved to Elijah, and then Rose "I came to warn you. I want to help you"

"Wait…" said Rose "Klaus is coming here? And he's been invited in once before, right?" Elijah suddenly growled and leapt to his feet.

"Fuck! Why didn't I see this?" he said, pacing "And now we've got an open house for him!" I looked between him and Gabrielle.

"Isn't there a spell to reverse invitations?" I asked. Elijah shook his head.

"Not that I know of…"

"Me neither" said Gabrielle.

"I do" said Rose "But we need three strong witches for it"

"I can get us a witch" said Elijah.

"That's two" said Gabrielle "What about a third?" Elijah thought for a moment.

"Bonnie" he said, suddenly.

"bonnie?" I asked "As in, my friend Bonnie?"

"Yes. She's got Bennett blood, they were very famous witches" he told me. Gabrielle nodded.

"The Bennett's were one of the strongest witch clans"

"Ring her" said Rose to Elijah "I'll go get the supplies"

"I'll go with you" said Gabrielle. I watched as everyone started preparations. Elijah was on the phone with his witch, leaving me alone. I wondered if any of them were thinking of the danger Klaus posed to them, or where they just fixated on me. I sighed and closed my eyes. This was all too stressful. First Elijah, then Damon and Stefan, now Klaus. What was this weird fascination vampires had with trying to take me away?

Elijah returned to the living room and sat down next to me again.

"Are you okay?" he asked, quietly. I shook my head.

"not really…" I muttered, resting my head on his shoulder. He stroked my hair.

"We'll take care of it. I won't let Klaus hurt you" he promised. I opened my eyes.

"I'm worried he'll hurt you. I already lost you once today, I don't want to lose you again" I told him. He smiled at me.

"I'll be fine Elena. I came back for you once. I will never leave you" he promised. I smiled and nodded. "now, I need to ring Bonnie, but I think she's more likely to believe you" he held out the phone. I nodded and took it. I hesitantly dialled Bonnie's number. I'd never been more afraid to call my best friend then I did today.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Bonnie, it's Elena. Can you come over, like, now? Please? It's important" I asked, my tone almost begging.

"Sure Elena…what's wrong?" she said, her voice concerned.

"I can't explain over the phone Bonnie, just come over and I'll explain everything" I told her. I hung up and handed the phone back to Elijah.

"She's coming" I told him. He nodded. "I'm going to go upstairs and have a shower"

"Okay. I'll call you when she gets here" he said, trying to smile. I headed upstairs, going to my room first to fetch some clothes. I bent down to sort through my bag, making a mental note to get more clothes from home at some point. I felt a strange prickling sensation on the back of my neck, as if I was being watched. I rose and turned to face the rest of the room. I gasped.

"Hello Elena"

**A/N: DUN DUN DUH! Well, updates should return to a normal regularity. Any guesses on who the mystery visitor is?**

**Coming up: help from unexpected sources, spells and a 'good' guy goes bad…**


	27. Return: part three

-1**A/N: Everyone guessed Damon as the mystery visitor****…****it****'****s not. Also, the reason I****'****m doing a anti-invitation spell in this fic is because I just watched the entire 7 series of Buffy, back to back. For any wannabe wiccans/witches, don****'****t try this spell. It****'****s not a real one.**

I stared at the woman in front of me, unable to speak from shock. She just smiled and waited for me to adjust.

"You…you're Katherine?" I said, finally managing to force words into a coherent sentence. She nodded.

"That is me. I see my name precedes me?"

"Well…the way I look, hanging around with vamps, your name does tend to come up" She moved slowly around my room, examining things. I folded my arms.

"Why are you here?" I asked "I thought you…well, I thought you were dead"

"No. I'm very much alive, as you can see. Forgive me for entering unannounced but I had no desire for a conversation with Elijah. I'm sure you understand that"

"yes…what I don't understand is why you're here at all?" I asked. She sighed and sat down on my bed.

"I understand you are having some problems with a certain vampire…"

"Which one are you referring to?" I asked, leaning against the wall "Damon, Stefan or Klaus?"

"Well, Klaus naturally since he's the largest threat"

"Fine. What can you tell me?" I asked.

"Klaus won't go for the obvious attack. He's a lot smarter then that. He enjoys toying with people. Gifts, messages, romantic touches, threatening people you care about" she shrugged "Only when he's got you alone, completely helpless…only then will he take you" she smiled without feeling "anyway…I wanted to warn you. He's cunning. He'll make you think he's doing one thing, when really he's doing something completely different and…" she paused, head cocked to one side. I could hear shouting downstairs.

"I think your friend is here" she said.

"Will you stay here?" I asked "I might need to talk to you some more" she smiled.

"I'll wait" she promised. I headed downstairs. Bonnie was there, with Jeremy and they were arguing loudly with Elijah. Rose and Gabrielle were back too. When they saw me, they all immediately started talking at once. I sighed, and tried to quieten them but it didn't work.

"BE QUIET!" snapped a voice from behind me. I turned to see Katherine standing on the stairs, arms folded. Everyone froze.

"Elena…why are there two of you?" asked Jeremy.

"Ka…Katherine?" stammered Rose. Katherine smiled.

"Hello Rose. Elijah. Now, I believe Elena wanted to speak…?" she looked at me. I smiled gratefully at her.

"thanks Katherine. Okay, firstly, Jeremy what are you doing here?"

"Bonnie said you needed help" I rolled my eyes.

"Right. Well, Bonnie I don't know what Elijah has said but you're a witch and we need you. Thirdly, Elijah would you kindly explain why everyone thinks Katherine's dead?" I leant against the banister. Katherine mimicked my pose.

"What do you mean a witch?" Bonnie demanded.

"Okay, Gabrielle, can you explain to Bonnie. I have to talk with Elijah" I left the stairs and moved in front of him. He sighed and led me to the kitchen.

"So? I thought you killed her?"

"No. I never said I killed her. Only that I tortured her. And technically, that wasn't me either"

"It was your identical twin brother who's also called Elijah?" I said in disbelief.

"No" he sighed "Klaus compelled me before I left. I could never be free until Katerina was dead"

"But she's not dead"

"No. I tortured Katherine till she was nearly dead. Then I returned to Klaus, shared what I had done. He believed she was dead. That was all we needed"

"You knew she was alive?"

"yes"

"huh"

"Elena…"

"No! we have to focus on stopping Klaus, that's the end of it" I walked off. Bonnie was sitting in the living room, deep in conversation with Gabrielle. Jeremy was listening too. Bonnie looked up at me.

"I understand"

"Okay. So we do it?" I asked.

"yes. As soon as the third witch gets here" Gabrielle said. "We picked up all the stuff we need. We may as well set up in advance" she indicated a brown paper bag on the table. I picked it up and peered inside.

"What is all this stuff?"

"herbs mainly. Some other things" said Gabrielle. I sighed and sat down. Jeremy was staring at Katherine. I sighed again, loudly.

"Jeremy, that's my identical doppelganger Katherine. She's a vampire. I'd stop staring. It's rude" Katherine smiled, showing her teeth.

Jeremy immediately turned his attention to Gabrielle.

"Can I help set up?" he said. Gabrielle nodded and they preceded to set out everything. I watched, interested. The objects they had looked so ordinary. Candles, herbs, a key and lock. I wondered how on earth they were going to turn them into a spell!

Elijah came in with the third witch, a tall dark man who introduced himself as Jonas, and then they began. The three witches sat together, holding hands, with the key and the lock in the centre of their triangle. Each of them had a knife and a candle in front of them, unlit at first. They closed their eyes and simultaneously the candles lit themselves.

"Preterea viribus aeris, ignis, aqua et terra. nobis trahere coniunctus spiritus. Ita nos iuvare volumus fieri" all three of them chanted together. The candle flame sprouted up.

"Pelle tenebras Sancti. Clausa ostia et fenestras clausi. Ingressum non invenies, et sine ullis hospitiis sumitis. By sermonem meum Terna tibi sanguinis et sigillum ego sequor" chanted Gabrielle. She picked up her knife and sliced open the palm of her hand, letting the blood drip onto the lock.

"Pelle tenebras Sancti. Clausa ostia et fenestras clausi. Ingressum non invenies, et sine ullis hospitiis sumitis. By sermonem meum Terna tibi sanguinis et sigillum ego sequor" spoke Jonas, mimicking her actions. I moved my eyes to Bonnie.

"Pelle tenebras Sancti. Clausa ostia et fenestras clausi. Ingressum non invenies, et sine ullis hospitiis sumitis. By sermonem meum Terna tibi sanguinis et sigillum ego sequor" her hand was shaking as she picked up her knife. She moved to add the final drops of blood.

Suddenly, the candle flames shot up higher then ever. Bonnie screamed, her eyes snapping open. They were black; no white, no pupil, just black. Gabrielle screamed too and Jonas. All three of them were shaking.

"Rose…what's happening?" asked Elijah. She looked terrified.

"I don't know" Jeremy took a step towards Bonnie but was pushed back by some unseen force. A chill wind whipped around the room. I opened my mouth to speak but a hand was clamped down over it before I could. I screamed and struggled as I felt myself being dragged outside. I was thrown into a car with blacked out windows.

**A/N: Hope you liked**


	28. Taken

**A/N: Again, nobody guessed right! NOT KLAUS! (although he will be making his next appearance very soon). Now, do we want: Klena lemons, Klena fluff or no Klena? Does anyone have any suggestions as to what Klaus might do with Elena (EXCEPT SLEEP WITH HER!). my idea bank is thoroughly drained at the moment.  
This chapter has moments that i wrote and were great, funny and touching but didn't fit in with the story so i cut them. **

I sat up, desperately trying to take stock of my surroundings. I knew i was in a car, but i didn't know who had put me there or where we were going. I looked at the front seat and saw the back of a man's head.

"Where are you taking me?"

"To Klaus"

"Why?"He turned to glare at me and i stared back.

"Trevor? What the hell? This isn't funny!"

"It's not a joke princess, I'm deadly serious" he smirked "Now, shut up"

"But...i thought you were one of the good guys..." i whispered. His smile grew.

"I'm a vampire. There aren't good guys. And I'm doing what i need to survive" He turned away, focusing his attention on the road once more, ending our conversation. I sat back in my seat, trying to think. I was worried about Bonnie and the others. Where they alright? I wanted to ask but i was worried about how Trevor would respond. So, i just curled up into a ball on the back seat and pretended to be looking out of the window...which didn't work very well since they were blacked out.

My mind drifted away from the car, away from the present. I thought about my friends...my family...Rose and Elijah and all they'd come to mean to me.

"_I thought you said you knew how to cook?" said Rose, taking in me covered in flour, wearing my pastry for gloves._

"_I do!" i laughed "you put it in the microwave, the microwave goes ping and you eat!" Rose rolled her eyes at me and began trying to peel the pastry off my arms. She tugged a bit too hard and knocked the bag of flour off the surface onto the floor. White powder exploded all over the kitchen, covering us as well. We looked at each other, and then at the mess and laughed. It was the first time i'd laughed since i'd come here...and it felt good._

*****And another*****

_Elijah was staring at me as I shovelled down my noodles. I put down my fork, folded my arms and raised an eyebrow at him._

"_Elijah...what have I said about staring at me?" i said._

"_I know...but it's hard not to...considering you have what looks like enough food to feed China on your plate"_

"_Hey, you ordered it!" i said, waving a chopstick at him malevolently. I speared a piece of chicken on_ _the stick and ate it._

"_here...let me" he said, reaching over and taking my hand in his, positioning them properly on the chopsticks. He guided my hand to the plate, picking up a prawn. I looked up at him, my eyes meeting his. A moment passed without movement..._

_Then the chopsticks slipped from my hand and clattered onto the plate._

*****And now a sweet little moment*****

_I woke up, but didn't move, trying to work out where I was. My cheek was pressed against something warm, hard and soft at the same time. I moved slightly, trying to get comfortable, and felt an arm wrapped around me, holding me. I realised that I was curled up on Elijah...but for once I didn't care. I moved closer to him, resting my cheek against his chest. He smelt nice, a mixture of smells that combined to make something rich and spicy .I didn't know if he was awake or asleep. I sighed and closed my eyes again, breathing in Elijah's scent._

*****Back to the present*****

The car pulled to a stop. Trevor got out and came round to my door, opened it and pulled me out. I jerked my arm away, making him snarl and slap me, sending me reeling.

"Trevor!" snapped a voice "That is no way to treat our guest!" I looked up to see Klaus, arms folded, with a smile on his face.


	29. Want

-1**A/N: Okay, quick announcement before we begin. Yes, I****'****m sorry it is taking me so long to update but I was dragged away from my computer to the back of beyond (Weymouth) where there was no computers and no phone signal. But I****'****m back now!**

Klaus walked towards me, his eyes dark and hungry. He smiled at me.

"I am most sorry for my impolite method of communication" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"You mean, having Trevor kidnap me?" He shrugged.

"Kidnapping is such a strong word" his smile widened "But it got your attention, didn't it?"

"Most people send flowers" his smiled turned wolfish, and he took my hand.

"I am not most people, Elena" he kissed my hand "Now let me show you to your room" He led me away from Trevor and into the house. It was elegantly decorated and it certainly seemed to suit Klaus's style.

"I'm confused" I said "Am I a prisoner or a guest?"

"A guest, of course" He led me up a set of stairs and down a corridor. I brightened at his words.

"So I can leave?"

"No" He reached a door and opened it "This is where you'll be staying. I hope it's to your liking" The room was beautiful. A four poster beg with white drapes and green sheets dominated the space. There was a mahogany chest at the foot, a green armchair by the window and a dresser against the wall.

"Do you like it?" he asked me. For a minute I forgot who I was talking to.

"It's beautiful" I admitted.

"Good" he said, smiling "I'm glad you like it. I'll leave you to settle in, and this evening you can dine with me" He turned to leave but paused at the door "I meant what I said Elena. You are not a prisoner. You are free to roam the house and grounds as you please. However, I would appreciate it if you didn't go out without an escort" I stared at him in disbelief.

"You honestly expect me to stay here willingly? You kidnapped me! I want to get out of here as soon as is physically possible" he moved towards me, backing me up against the wall and placed a hand on my cheek, forcing me to look him in the eye. They were icy blue, cold and impenetrable. His pupils contracted as he spoke.

"You want to stay here Elena" he told me, firmly. I tried, with all my strength, to resist but couldn't.

"I…I want to stay…here…with you?"

"That's right. Elijah took you from your home. He hurt you. You forgive him but you don't want to go back"

"I don't want to go back" I repeated. He kissed my cheek, breaking the eye contact "Now, I'll leave you. If you need anything I'll be downstairs and my bedroom is down the hall"

"Thank you Klaus" I smiled back at him.

"Oh…and one more thing. You will not remember I compelled you" he told me. I stared at him and blinked. My mind had gone blank. I wasn't sure why, but suddenly I wanted to stay with Klaus.

"I'm sorry" I frowned "I spaced out. What were we talking about?"

"I was just telling you where to find me if you need anything"

"Okay. Thanks" He left the room. I looked around and quickly discovered a walk in wardrobe stocked with old fashioned dresses. I wondered if these were things Katherine had worn. There were some more modern outfits near the back and I made a mental note to try them on later. My next object of curiosity was the trunk at the end of the bed but it was empty. I looked around. There was jewellery on the dresser. It looked expensive and old, very beautiful. The books on the shelves were all first editions and I wanted to take them down and read them but I didn't. I had something else I needed to do first, something that had been nagging in my mind since I got here.

I went downstairs and found Klaus sitting in the living room, reading. He looked up as I entered and smiled.

"Hello Elena"

"hi!" I sat down next to him.

"What do you think of your room?"

"It's very beautiful, thank you" I looked away from him, wondering how to ask.

"What's wrong?"

"Err…"

"Elena" he moved over to me and put a hand under my chin "If you don't tell me, I can't help"

"It's kind of stupid but…well, I left my diary at Elijah's house and I've had it since I was nine, and it's really important to me and I'd like to get it back" I babbled. He held up a hand to silence me.

"Ordinarily I'd say no, because no doubt Elijah will try and take you away from me" I whimpered, terrified by the idea "But since it's important to you, I'll allow it" I smiled, gratefully. I wasn't sure why I'd ever distrusted him.

"Thank you" I kissed his cheek. He caught my face in his hand, bringing my lips to his in a heated kiss. I kissed him back hard, then pulled away.

"I'd rather get it over with" I said. He nodded.

"I'll have Maddox and Greta escort us" he told me "we'll leave in five minutes" I smiled. He left to go find the two people and I waited patiently.

When he returned, he was accompanied by a tall dark haired man and a curvy dark woman, who reminded me of Bonnie.

"Elena, this is Maddox and Greta. They are here to help you with anything you need" I smiled at them and they smiled back.

Klaus led our group out to a car and I slid into the front seat next to him. We drove down the familiar roads to Elijah's house. Nervously, I slipped out of the car and went to the front door. Klaus came to my side and took my hand. Maddox and Greta flanked us like bodyguards. Hesitantly, I knocked on the door. It was pulled opened before I even had a chance to move my hand back. Elijah stood there, Rose behind him. When he saw me, he went to hug me but I moved behind Klaus.

"Hello Elijah" said Klaus, smiling slightly. Elijah snarled.

"What did you do to her?"

"Nothing" he said "Elena's with me of her own free will. She merely wanted to retrieve her diary from your house" I looked up at Elijah, smiling slightly. He nodded slowly. I moved away from Klaus and headed into the house. Maddox followed me, clearly defending me in case Rose or Elijah made to snatch me. I went up to what had been my room and dug my diary out from it's hiding place. I also grabbed some other stuff, like the photo album Damon had given me.

"Okay, I'm done" I told Maddox. He escorted me back downstairs. Elijah made a last effort to try and stop me.  
"Please Elena…stay here. Whatever he's making you feel, it's not real!" he said, hands digging into my shoulders. I shrugged him off and scurried to Klaus's side.

"I think she's made her choice brother" he said, with a smile. He took my hand and led me away.

**A/N: Hope we liked. Just a warning…there most likely be Klena lemons in this story. Sorry for Klena haters.**


	30. Drinking, destruction and visions

-1**A/N: Starts just before Elena knocks on the door in the last chapter. Elijah****'****s PoV**

I paced angrily, my conflicting thoughts clouding my head. Rose stood with Gabrielle, watching me. We'd sent Bonnie and Jeremy home. Katherine had disappeared after I'd shouted at her.

"Please Elijah, calm down" Rose begged. I turned and opened my mouth to yell but there was a loud knock at the door which halted me. I rushed to it and ripped it open. Elena was there with…Klaus. I ignored him and went to hug Elena, so relieved to see her alive I forgot about the company. She flinched away from me, scurrying behind him.

"Hello Elijah" said Klaus, smirking at me. I snarled.

"What did you do to her?" I knew Elena would never act like that normally.

"Nothing" said Klaus with mock hurt "Elena's with me of her own free will. She merely wanted to retrieve her diary from your house" Elena looked at me with pleading eyes and I nodded. She left Klaus's side and went into the house, followed by a tall man I guessed was one of his witches. I didn't say a word as she disappeared upstairs. I just glared at Klaus.

Elena returned quickly. I decided to make one last effort at stopping her. I grabbed her, forcing her to look at me. I turned on my compulsion, hoping, in vain, it would be stronger then his.

"Please Elena…stay here. Whatever he's making you feel, it's not real!" I said, hands digging into her shoulders. She shrugged me off, backing away in fear behind Klaus.

"I think she's made her choice brother" he said, with a smile. He took her hand and led her away from me. I felt a tear in my eyes. I spun away from the door way and stormed into the kitchen. I grabbed a bottle of scotch and went up to my room, to drain it. I looked at the furniture, the bed that Elena had lain next to me on. I threw the bottle at the wall, grabbed a chair and tossed that too. I wanted to destroy something. I wanted to save her and since I couldn't kill Klaus, I would take out all my aggression on things that couldn't fight back.

*****Rose's PoV*****

I stood at the bottom of the stairs, listening to Elijah smash up the furniture. I made a mental note to go shopping for new stuff later. I sighed and went to sit down on the sofa. Gabrielle came and joined me.

"You know, he's a jerk but I actually feel sorry for him" I muttered.

"I feel sorry for her. Klaus is pure evil when you get on the wrong side of him" Gabrielle said. I sighed.

"I wonder what he wants with her" I said, thinking of what had happened to Katherine when Klaus had got hold of her. I shuddered at the thought. Gabrielle seemed to be following my thoughts because she leapt to her feet and went to fetch a candle and a mirror.

"The spell may not have worked earlier…but this one I know I can do" She sat cross-legged on the floor and lit the candle, placing her hands over the mirror "Let me see"

_**Vision**_

_A girl stood beside a elegant chair atop a raised platform, dressed in a black and red dress with a matching mask on her face. She was smiling slightly, her eyes dark and seductive behind the mask. A masked man approached her and bowed. She smiled at him and held out a hand._

"_My lord" she said, her voice sultry._

"_My queen" he replied, taking the offered hand. He led her down from the platform onto a dance floor. Elegant couples were dancing together but as the couple approached, they separate to bow or curtsey._

_The pair reached the centre of the room and the man cleared his throat for attention._

"_Ladies and gentlemen. Tonight is a historic night. Tonight is the night that I take this woman to my side, to become my queen" the girl smiled, blushing slightly at the attention she was receiving. The man slowly removed the girl's mask and trailed a hand over her throat. He gripped firmly and with one practiced movement, he snapped her neck._

_**End Vision**_

Gabrielle jerked back to the present with a startled gasp.

"What is it?" I asked her.

"Elena…he's going to turn her. I saw a dance…and he killed her"

"Oh god. How much time do we have?" She gave me an icy look.

"It's a vision, not an exact date and time Rose" I bit my lip nervously. We couldn't let Elena die.

**A/N: Sorry it's short. Next chapter will be longer, I promise.**


	31. A date

-1**A/N: A few days after the last chapter. Elena's PoV**

I was curled up on the sofa with Klaus, happy and secure in his arms. I was drifting in that warm place between asleep and awake when I felt him running his hand over my arm. I smiled slightly.

"Hey" I whispered "Sleeping here"

"Sorry" he replied "Couldn't help myself" I looked up at him.

"Really? Why?"

"Because every time I do, you look at me like you haven't seen me in years" I placed a hand on his cheek.

"That's because I can't believe you're really here with me" he leant down and kissed me softly.

"I'm here. I'm not going anywhere" he promised. I smiled.

"Good"

"Why? Would you miss me?" he asked, smirking.

"Of course" I replied, snuggling closer to him. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me against him. I felt so safe and I smiled to myself.

My phone rang. I jumped. I'd gone for so long without one that it caught me off guard every time it made a noise. I picked it up and flicked it open.

"Elena!" it was Bonnie "Where are you? I haven't heard from you in days! No one's told me anything! I've been so worried!" I moved away from Klaus so that I could talk without him distracting me.

"I'm safe Bon, don't worry" I assured her.

"You just disappeared!" her voice had been high-pitched to begin with and was no verging on the only-dogs-can-hear level.

"Bonnie, calm down please. I am not in trouble. I am fine, so stop worrying. I'm staying at…" I glanced over at Klaus, who was watching the exchange with interest "My boyfriends' house"

"You're with Stefan?"

"No. Stefan and I split up, remember?" I reminded her "This is my…new boyfriend"

"new boyfriend?"

"yeah. Look, I've got to go. See you soon, 'kay?" I hung up quickly and dropped the phone on the table. I went back to Klaus's side.

"You okay?" he asked. I nodded, deep in thought. He sighed and squeezed my hand "Don't worry so much. It'll be fine" I sank down, back into the crook of his arm, trying to reclaim the feeling I'd had before.

"Elena?" he said, suddenly.

"Yes?" I said, looking up at him.

"Do you love me?"

"Of course" I reached up and kissed him hard. He pushed me down onto the sofa and held me there. His mouth attacked mine, furiously.

"How much do you love me?" he asked, kissing down my neck.

"With all my heart" I responded instantly, my head thrown back, eyes closed. He paused at my pulse point, his teeth pressing against my skin. A shiver ran through me. I wasn't sure if it was fear or excitement.

"Would you die for me?" he whispered against my skin. My eyes opened and met his. I felt no fear as I placed my hand on his face and pushed his teeth into my neck.

"Yes" I gasped out as his fangs broke through my yielding flesh. It didn't hurt. It was more numbing then anything. I clutched his hair as he fed, using it for support. I was restraining him and urging him on, pulling him close but still not close enough.

He released me suddenly and pulled way.

"Thank you" he said, his lips brushing over mine for a second. They tasted coppery from my blood but it didn't disgust me. I was glad I could do this for him.

"It's okay. It belongs to you" I said. I smiled "I'm tired. I think I'll go to bed" He nodded.

"See you tomorrow beautiful"

****The next morning****

I woke early and went downstairs to find Klaus up already, seated at a table on the back porch. He didn't seem to notice me approaching, so I sat down next to him and he looked up from the paper he was studying.

"What's that?" I asked, leaning in to give him a kiss.

"And good morning to you as well" he laughed "This is a list"

"Of?"

"names"

"Why?" He folded his arms and looked at me.

"Why all the questions?"

"just curious" I said, sitting back in my chair. Klaus considered for a minute before speaking.

"It's a list of guests for our ball" my ears pricked up at that.

"We're having a ball?" He nodded.

"It's a celebration, for us. I am the oldest vampire in existence, almost royalty amongst my kind. It is tradition for me to announce our mating" he pointed at the list "On this night, I will announce you and change you"

"Change me?" I repeated, a small note of fear slipping into my voice. Klaus's eyes met mine and narrowed. His pupils contracted slightly.

"Yes. On that night I will change you" he repeated. I felt my mind go blank. I nodded.

"Of course. I can't wait" I smiled. He smiled back.

"Great. I'll have the invites sent out this afternoon" I smiled happily. I was going to be with him forever.

Rose's PoV

The post arrived. That was a surprise since no one in this house ever got mail. I was busy but decided the anomaly was worth investigating so I went, picked it up and shuffled through. There were two envelopes, both thick and heavy with elegant blood red writing on the front, addressing them to Elijah and myself.

"Elijah!" I called. He hadn't come out of his room since our visit from Klaus and Elena. He only fed because I threw bags of blood at him. I would have pinned him down and forced it down his throat if I had to.

I went to the living room and sat down. Gabrielle was there, looking curious. I turned over my envelope and stared at the black wax seal.

"What's that?" Gabrielle asked.

"I'm not sure" The seal looked familiar but I couldn't place it. I broke open the wax and slid the letter out. I scanned the writing, my eyes widening with each word.

You have been cordially invited to attend the masquerade ball in celebration of the union of Nikolaus to Elena Gilbert. This invite allows the entry of yourself and one other.

Formal wear is required.

Beneath that was the date and address. I dropped the letter on the table. Gabrielle picked it up and read it too. Her face became a mask of horror.

"This is what I saw Rose! This is how it happens!" Before I could reply, there was a loud knock at the door. A second later it flew open and the Salvatore brothers came in. Both had identical looks of rage on their face and letters in their hands.

"Have you seen this?" demanded Damon "What the fuck is going on?"

"Long story" I sighed "Basically, the oldest vampire in the world has compelled Elena to love him and he plans to change her at this party"

"So we stop him, right? The address is on the back of the letter" said Stefan.

"Yeah. Let's go!" added Damon, eagerly.

"You can't. Elena lives there now so vampires can't enter" pointed out Gabrielle "You'll have to wait till the night to get to her"

"And Klaus's compulsion is incredibly strong. She won't go willingly" I commented.

"Well then" said a voice, making us jump. We turned to see Elijah in the doorway, dressed in his normal suit with a smirk on his face "We'll just have to take her unwillingly"

**A/N: I have written all the chapters to the end out on paper but it's now to dark here to see the writing so I can't type it. And the light switch is behind a pile of rubbish (we've been redecorating). Oh and there will be an alternate ending posted in 'Of Dreams and Reality' which is officially becoming my 'missing scene fic'. Get voting on my poll as when this is finished, I'll be starting a new one! Or, PM me with your fave story idea if you like.**


	32. The ball: part one

-1**A/N: Night of the ball. I****'****m doing this chapter twice, once in Elena****'****s PoV and once in Elijah****'****s. This one is Elena.**

I stood in front of my mirror, appraising my reflection. The days had gone by quickly and now it was the night of the ball. I was dressed in my red and black dress, my mask hanging on the back of the door. My hair had been carefully styled, my make up applied. I was perfect but I still felt something was missing. I turned, twisting to see every detail of my body. It was my neck that drew my attention. Bare, except for the still lingering bite mark that protruded from my straps.

I went to the jewellery box on the side and sorted through, searching for something to complete it. There were some pretty necklaces that matched my outfit but they didn't feel right somehow.

My eyes eventually fell on my normal necklace. I picked it up and held it in my hands. I'd done this hundreds of time in the past but tonight felt different, as if I were seeing it properly for the first time. Elijah came into my mind as I ran my fingers over the surface. I sighed sadly and put it down again, rather forcefully.

"Elena?" said Greta, coming into the room.

"Yes?"

"This was left for you. There's no name saying who it's from" she handed me a small wooden box.

"Oh…huh, that's strange" I shrugged. I guessed that it must be from Klaus, who I hadn't seen all day. I sat down on the bed and opened the box. Inside was a ruby heart on a silver back. Like a red version of the 'heart of the ocean' from _Titanic._

"Wow" I whispered, slipping it around my neck. I looked at my reflection again. Perfect. I was ready.

I heard a voice calling my name and headed downstairs to investigate. Klaus was at the front door, looking dashing in his tux. I smiled and went over to him.

"You called?" I asked. He turned and stared at me in shock.

"You look amazing" he told me. He kissed my cheek and ushered me to the doorway "Now my queen, are you ready to meet your people?" I nodded. I was nervous but I could do this. For him. For us.

He opened the door. There was already a small queue of elegantly dressed people waiting to enter. I was immediately caught up in the process of being introduced to people and greeting them. Most of the names I'd forgotten the second they'd left.

Elijah and Rose arrived with two others. The woman looked vaguely familiar but I wasn't sure why.

"Ah Elijah. Rose" said Klaus, smirking "And these are?"

"Slater and Kitty" replied Elijah, indicating the man and the woman in turn. "May we come in?"

"Of course" I said, forcing a smile "Please do" he smiled back at me.

"Thank you" They swept past us. I watched them go, my emotions wild and confusing. I needed to clear my head. I nudged Klaus gently.

"I'll be back in a minute" I whispered. He nodded, his face concerned. I slipped off, heading to the kitchen. I splashed cold water on my face and leant against the sink. I felt so confused. I had been…jealous? That Elijah had a girl with him? I shook my head. This wasn't right.

"Are you okay?" I spun round to see Klaus had entered silently and was standing nearby, watching me intently.

"Yeah" I said, unable to meet his eye for some reason. He crossed over to me and stroked my cheek.

"It's okay. I know it's hard. You're doing fine" I smiled at him. His hand moved down to touch the faded bite mark on my neck. I caught his hand, then kissed him. His hand quickly broke free and entwined in my hair. His other hand went to his throat and nicked the skin. He drew my mouth away from his, bringing it to the cut on his neck. I felt the blood trickling down my throat. It was spicy, intoxicating and I wanted to keep drinking. I lapped up the liquid eagerly. Klaus let out a sudden groan and pulled me away. I licked my lips, removing the blood from my stained lips.

"We should get back to the party" he whispered. I nodded.

"Give me a second, I'll be right out" He smiled and disappeared. I took a deep breath, straightened my dress and headed out to the party.

I'd barely gone three feet when Stefan appeared at my side.

"Oh. Hi Stefan. When did you get here?"

"A few minutes ago" he held out a glass of champagne. I took it gratefully, eager for anything that would remove the taste of Klaus's blood from my throat. "I wanted to talk to you" I sighed, knowing what he was going to say.

"Look Stefan, I know you're convinced you're doing the right thing but while kidnapped me from Elijah was dangerous, trying to take me from Klaus would be suicidal" he held up a hand to silence me.

"I'm not here to do anything like that. In fact I'm here to say congratulations. You found someone who makes you happy and I'm glad for you" I smiled and touched his arm.

"Thank you. That means a lot to me" he grinned. His eyes slide over my shoulder and he waved. I turned to see Bonnie walking towards me.

"Bonnie? What are you doing here?" I demanded. She should not be here! House full of vampires? Err…that normally meant bad news.

"Oh. I'm Stefan's date" she smiled. I stared at her. What was going on? She glanced at Stefan "Can you excuse us?"

"Sure" Bonnie took my hand and pulled me from the room, out into the corridor.

"Where are we going, Bonnie?" I asked. I was confused and frustrated. I still couldn't believe she was here. With Stefan of all people! Now she was dragging me away as if her life depended on it. I was only putting up with it because I wanted to know what was going on.

"I want to talk to you" she glanced around at the milling vampires "In private" she took me upstairs and into an empty bedroom. She pushed me inside and backed away. I turned to see Bonnie had been joined by Damon and Gabrielle.

"What's going on?" I asked, eyes resting on each of them in turn.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder. I spun round to see my mirror reflection. The only difference was the dress.

"Kath…?" my word was cut off as she hit me over the head. I fell to the floor, unconscious.

I opened my eyes. I was lying on a bed, staring at a blurry image of myself.

"Jeeze, Katherine! You didn't have to hit her that hard!" said a distant voice. Damon?

"Well, I didn't see you rushing to help!" snapped my reflection "And this necklace burns!"

"Tough shit. You have to wear it. Now get out before he realises she's missing!" said a girl. Gabrielle, I guessed. Katherine let out an annoyed noise and disappeared. I struggled to sit up, my head pounding at the movements.

"What's happening?" I slurred. Damon and Gabrielle exchanged glances. I attempted to get up off the bed but my legs wouldn't hold me and I fell to the floor. Damon caught me just in time.

"What's happening?" I demanded again. My demand lost some of its forcefulness because of my strange drunk tone.

"How much did Stefan give her?" muttered Gabrielle.

"Too much" replied Damon, gently sitting me down. Everything w as blurry and confusing but I made out the shape of a man entering the room. He came over to our group and squinted at me. I tried to make out their face. Elijah? It had to be.

"Elijah? What are you doing?" I asked, staring at him. He shot an angry look at Damon.

"What happened to her?" I winced at the loud noise.

"Stefan overdosed her. It was supposed to relax her mind not knock it for a loop" supplied Gabrielle. Elijah growled.

"This better work" he snapped. He placed a hand on my cheek, forcing me to look into his eyes "Elena, you do not belong here. Klaus is manipulating you. He doesn't love you. You don't love him either! This is the truth…please believe it!" his pupils contracted and his words washed over me. He slowly stepped back. I stared at him.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I struggled to my feet again, using the furniture for support "This is silly. I'm going back to the party" I tried to stagger forward but Damon wrapped his arms around me, holding me still "Let me go!" I wailed "I wanna go back to my partieee! I want Klausy!"

"Err…help?" said Damon, as I wrestled against his iron grip.

"Well, what can we do?" sighed Elijah, sinking onto the bed "I can't compel her. If we try to force her to leave she'll shout her head off, and even if we do manage to get her out she'll just keep trying to get back"

"Isn't there a way to uncompel her?" asked Gabrielle, desperately.

"I haven't been compelled!" I shrieked. Damon clamped his hand over my mouth.

"No. the only way to stop compulsion is to kill the person who did it. I don't know about you but I can't get close enough to Klaus to kill him" silence fell on the room. I was still trying to get free and screaming against Damon's hand.

"I have an idea" said Damon suddenly "Elijah, there's no one in this house you really like, right? No one you'd miss if they didn't come out?"

"No one except the people I came in with" Damon nodded.

"Right. Good"

"What's your plan?" asked Gabrielle, frowning.

"We burn them"


	33. the ball: part two

-1**A/N: the last chapter redone in Elijah's PoV! It's almost over…-sob-**

I stood, adjusting my bowtie, trying in vain to get it neat. Rose, who had been watching from the door, sighed and came over. She straighted my tie for me and gave me an appraising look.

"Okay, you're ready" she decided "How do I look?" I glanced at her. She was wearing a one-shouldered, sparkly black dress and matching mask.

"You look good. Where are the others?"

"Downstairs. And before you ask, yes we all know what we have to do" I nodded, glad I didn't have to go over the plan again. I headed for the door but Rose stopped me.

"Elijah. I wanted to make sure you are doing the right thing. Elena is a sweet girl and I care about her just as much as you do…but you're risking everything to get her back" There was no doubt in my mind. I loved Elena. I couldn't lose her.

"I'm sure Rose. I have to do this. I love her" she nodded.

"Then let's go" we headed downstairs. Damon and Stefan were there, looking as tense as I felt. Gabrielle and Bonnie were their dates for the evening and both wore floor length gowns in elfin green and coffee brown. My date stood a little apart from the others, smirking at our discomfort. Katherine. I hated that we had to involve her. She was selfish, unreliable and we all knew if the chances of us failing became high, she would sell us out to save her own skin. But, unfortunately, she was necessary if we were going to get anywhere close to managing this. She hadn't wanted to help but we'd persuaded her with a mixture of promises and threats. So now she was my…date. Rose's date was her friend Slater who knew nothing about the plan.

"Everyone ready?" I asked. They all nodded or muttered their agreement. I took a deep breath and led the way out to the cars. It was time to get Elena back.

The plan itself was simple. Swap Katherine for Elena and leave. The problem was separating Elena from Klaus long enough to replace her and then keeping hold of her until we'd removed the compulsion from her. I hadn't been sure how we were going to turn her back but Gabrielle had suggested a potion that would make Elena sleepy and disorientated so that her mind should be more susceptible to my compulsion. We all had a vial of it so we could spike Elena's drink as soon as the chance arose. I wasn't sure what we'd do if that failed. I hoped it wouldn't come to that. We'd also sent Elena a vervain filled necklace in case Klaus tried to strengthen his compulsion.

We pulled up outside the address given. The house was ostentatious in true Klaus style. He never did anything by halves.

The Salvatores, Gabrielle and Bonnie were coming separately so as not to raise suspicion. Katherine, Rose, Slater and I joined the line of couples entering. Everyone was wearing masks but I saw some familiar faces. Klaus really had gone all out on the invites.

We reached the door. Klaus was there with a beautiful young women in red and black. It took me a minute to realise it w as actually Elena. I was stunned by how different she looked.

"Ah Elijah. Rose" said Klaus, smirking "And these are?"

"Slater and Kitty" I introduced. Due to the rules of the vampire world, when a person invited a vampire in you couldn't use a fake name but we hadn't wanted Klaus to know Katherine was around so we'd had to think of a name that was close enough to Katherine to pass but different enough to not be noticed. "May we come in?"

"Of course" said Elena, smiling "Please do" I smiled back.

"Thank you" We entered and lingered in the main hall, waiting for the Salvatore's to arrive. I was incredibly tense. We hadn't got rejected at the door like I'd been worried about but now there was a strong chance we weren't going to make it out of here with Elena…or indeed at all. I was just praying we'd be okay and would manage this.

"They're here" whispered Rose. I spotted Stefan heading our way with Bonnie. Damon and Gabrielle had headed off to prepare their part. Good. We were almost ready.

"Okay. Katherine, find Damon and Gabrielle. Get ready. Stefan, try and get to Elena. Bonnie, wait here" I ordered. They did as instructed. Katherine disappeared to our chosen room, ready for Elena. Stefan was hovering nearby, ready to offer Elena a drink. Bonnie stood at my side, shifting nervously. I felt sympathetic to her. Her part of the plan was one of the hardest. Elena didn't trust me or Rose, thanks to Klaus's compulsion, and she'd learnt not to trust the Salvatores. Bonnie was her best friend and had the highest chance of persuading her away from the party successfully. But she needed an opportunity when Klaus wasn't watching.

I took a deep breath and sidled through the crowd towards him.

"Hello brother" he said, without looking at me.

"I supposed congratulations are in order" I replied, stiffly. Klaus turned and looked at me, eyes smirking while his mouth remained serious.

"For what?" he asked with pretend confusion.

"You won"

"I wasn't aware we were competing" I rolled my eyes. He knew. He always knew.

"Of course it is. It always has been this way. Us fighting over something only one of us really wants"

"You are wrong in assuming I don't want Elena"

"I know you do but for different reasons to me" he grinned at that and I tried not to think of exactly what he wanted to do with Elena.

"So…are you here to surrender?" he asked, giving me a sideways glance.

"Of course not. Neither of us was ever any good at giving up and moving on" I had thought about feigning defeat but I knew that would raise Klaus's suspicions rather then remove them. Besides, I didn't need him to trust me. I just needed to keep him busy for long enough. If he suspected something he'd go to Elena and stop us.

Over his shoulder, I spotted Stefan and Elena talking. Elena had a half empty glass of champagne in her hand. Bonnie was approaching them slowly, weaving through the assembly.

"So you're going to attempt to steal away my new bride?" Klaus asked, seemingly oblivious to the object of my focus.

"Definitely" I said, glancing over at her as frequently as I dared "at some point"

"Good. That makes life interesting" he said. He patted my back and began to turn away. I rushed to think of a distraction.

"How long do you think you can keep this up?" I said, hurriedly "brainwashing her I mean?" Klaus gave me a cold look.

"My compulsion is none of your concern"

"Elena is my concern" I argued "How long?"

"As long as I have to" he replied, before walking off. I scanned the room. Elena and Bonnie were gone. I let out a quiet sigh of relief and went to fetch a drink. I couldn't leave to help Damon and Gabrielle until Katherine came in. I kept my eyes on the doorway, waiting anxiously. Stefan came to my side.

"You look as stressed as I feel" he muttered.

"Yeah. I'm worried. Something could go wrong so easily" he nodded, understandingly, then stiffened.

"They're back" he pointed to the door. Katherine, in Elena's clothes, and Bonnie had entered. Now it was my turn.

I left the hall and headed upstairs. I followed the sound of quiet voices and entered a bedroom. Elena, in Katherine's clothes, was seated on the bed with Damon and Gabrielle standing nearby. As I moved closer, I noticed Elena was flushed and her eyes were wide, pupils huge.

"Elijah? What are you doing?" she slurred. I glared at Damon. What had he done to he?

"What happened to her?" I snarled.

"Stefan overdosed her. It was supposed to relax her mind not knock it for a loop" supplied Gabrielle. I growled. I knew risky. Gabrielle had explained that there were dangers but I hadn't expected this to happen.

"This better work!" I snapped. I placed a hand on Elena's cheek, looking her in the eye. My voice took on the hypnotic tone reserved for compulsion "Elena, you do not belong here. Klaus is manipulating you. He doesn't love you. You don't love him either! This is the truth…please believe it!" I was almost begging, pushing my compulsion as hard as I dared. Elena just stared at me. Her mouth opened.

"What the hell are you talking about?" She climbed to her feet, holding onto the bed "This is silly. I'm going back to the party" She moved forward but Damon grabbed her, pulling her against him "Let me go! I wanna go back to my partieee! I want Klausy!" she screamed, tugging desperately to get free.

"Err…help?" said Damon, looking worried. I felt a complete wave of helplessness wash over me and I sat on the bed.

Well, what can we do? I can't compel her. If we try to force her to leave she'll shout her head off, and even if we do manage to get her out she'll just keep trying to get back"

"Isn't there a way to uncompel her?" asked Gabrielle, desperately.

"I haven't been compelled!" shouted Elena. Damon covered her mouth with his hand.

"No" I sighed "The only way to stop compulsion is to kill the person who did it. I don't know about you but I can't get close enough to Klaus to kill him" I looked over at Elena who was still struggling, screaming and swearing.

"I have an idea" said Damon suddenly. He looked at me "Elijah, there's no one in this house you really like, right? No one you'd miss if they didn't come out?" I frowned, wondering what he was planning.

"No one except the people I came in with"

"Right. Good"

"What's your plan?" asked Gabrielle, also frowning. Damon smiled grimly.

"We burn them"


	34. Burn

-1**A/N: Second to last chapter. Elijah's PoV**

"Burn them?" I repeated, incredulously "How do we know it'll kill him? He might just escape! I mean, we can't barricade all exits against every vampire in here"

"We don't need to" said Damon "Gabrielle can cast one of those vamp trapping spells. Then we set the house on fire" I nodded slowly, piecing it together in my mind. It could work.

"Can you do it?" I asked Gabrielle. She considered carefully.

"With Bonnie's help…probably" I nodded.

"Good. But how do we get Elena out without her drawing attention to us?" I glanced at Elena, who had fallen silent and was now glaring stonily at us instead.

"You said you can't compel her against Klaus's compulsion but surely you can compel her to walk out silently?" suggested Gabrielle. I nodded and moved towards Elena again. She immediately resumed her struggling. I hated that she was afraid of me, but I forced myself to harden my heart. This was for her own good.

"Elena. You are going to walk beside me. You will be silent and you will not attempt to escape from us" she didn't reply, her eyes falling to the ground. I nodded to Damon who reluctantly released her. She didn't run, she just stood there, waiting. I held out my hand and she moved forward robotically to take it.

"Okay, Damon, Gabrielle. Find Stefan, Bonnie and Rose"

"What about Katherine?" asked Damon. I shook my head. Katherine wasn't a priority. She would have happily betrayed us. The other two both nodded, understandingly and left. I led Elena downstairs and back into the party. I brushed past Rose and touched her hand. Her head jerked up and silently she followed, grabbing Slater on the way.

When we got outside, I pushed Elena towards Rose.

"Get out of here" I told her, firmly. I turned back to the house. The Salvatores had emerged and were watching the girls cast their spell. I joined the brothers. A fierce wind seemed to have sprung up around the witches. Bonnie's' nose was bleeding slightly. Strange words slipped from their lips in a language I didn't understand. Dark clouds gathered above our heads.

Suddenly, they both let out a tired sigh and turned to us.

"It's done" said Gabrielle. She raised her hand, pointing towards the house. In the upstairs window, the curtains caught fire. I watched dispassionately as Gabrielle and Bonnie set fire to the rest of the house. Shouts rose up from house, screams of pain. Figures appeared at the door, pounding against an invisible barrier.

"No!" screamed Elena, pulling away from Rose and dashing towards the house "Klaus! No!" I rushed forward and grabbed Elena, pulling her back against me. She struggled valiantly, screaming out his name. her eyes were filled tears. We slowly sank to the ground. I rocked her gently, stroking her hair as she sobbed in my arms.

"Klaus…" she cried.

"it's going to be okay Elena" I whispered "soon everything will be okay" I promised this over and over again, hoping that it would be true.

We stayed in that position until the house had become a smouldering shell and the sky had begun to grow lighter. The cries of those trapped inside had long since stopped. The smell of charred flesh pierced the air. Elena fell still. I glanced down at her. She stared at me, her eyes wide, innocent and scared.

"E…Elijah?" she whispered. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out. I picked her up and carried her to the car, laying her tenderly in the backseat.

"Will the compulsion wear off now?" Gabrielle asked. I nodded.

"Assuming Klaus is actually dead" added Damon "We should probably check the ruins…just to make sure"

"Gabrielle and I should go" said Bonnie "The spell's still active" she looked at me "Take her home. She needs to rest" I smiled and got into the car. Rose said something to Slater and climbed in next to me. I started the engine and began to drive home. A heavy silence over us. We had killed our kind. A lot of them. We were traitors. But it had been done for love. Did that make it right? I wasn't sure what was right of wrong anymore.

I looked at Elena via the mirror. Even now, unconscious, she didn't look peaceful. Her face was creased with worry, her body tense as if expecting a blow to be delivered. I wondered how long it would be before she returned to the lively young woman I'd watched growing up. The woman who'd all but disappeared when I'd taken her. The woman I'd helped to break. I was as much at fault as Klaus was. I had started this. I should never have taken her. I should never have made that deal.

"Don't even think about it" said Rose, quietly. I glanced at her.

"What do you mean?"

"I can see on your face. You're thinking about removing her memory, sending her home and leave" I frowned. I'd underestimated her intuitiveness.

"Wouldn't that be better for her? To forget everything that I've done to her?"

"Elijah" she hesitated slightly "I'm not saying that every decision you've made when it comes to Elena has been a good one but you never forced her to love you. And even if you do erase what happened, it doesn't change it. It still happened!"

"So…what do I do?"

"I think you and Elena need to decide together. You can't make these choices for her or you'll be doing exactly what he did" I sighed and nodded. Elena needed to choose.

We reached the house and I lay Elena on the sofa. I sat in the nearby armchair, watching her intently. Rose hovered uncertainly for a few minutes before disappearing into the kitchen. I just sat there.

The doorbell rang. I went to answer it. The Salvatores, Gabrielle and Bonnie were there.

"Hi" I said, moving so they could enter.

"How is she?" asked Stefan.

"Unconscious" I said "did you find anything?" Gabrielle and Bonnie exchanged glances.

"We did a body count from the guest list, and people who work for Klaus" began Bonnie.

"Three bodies unaccounted for" said Gabrielle "From what we could tell by the remains of the outfits, it's two females and a male" I stiffened. If Klaus was still alive all of this would be for nothing.

"Elijah…?" called a quiet voice. Elena. I dashed to her side. She was staring around blearily.

"Are you okay?" I asked, tentatively. This was the moment that would tell us if Klaus had escaped the fire, if he was still alive and his compulsion strong. I was praying that she was back.

She stared at me. Then, suddenly, she flung her arms around me, holding me tightly, crying into my shoulder.

"I'm sorry! I tried to fight him! I couldn't help it! I didn't want to!" she sobbed, her voice distorted by tears. I cradled her as if she were an infant.

"It's okay Elena. I know. I should never have let him take you"

"You couldn't have stopped him"

"I could have tried" I felt tears in my own eyes now.

"You did. You brought me home" she said, her brown eyes meeting mine. She slowly brushed her hand over my cheek "I love you"

"I love you too. And I'm never letting you go" I vowed.

**A/N: Aww…one last chapter!**


	35. Epilogue

-1**A/N: Elijah's PoV, 3 weeks after the last chapter.**

I lay in my bed, listening to the clock ticking downstairs. I counted down. 5...4...3...2...1

Right on cue, I heard a door opening down the corridor and quiet footsteps walking towards my room. The door opened, making barely a creak. I sat up and peered through the darkness. A shaking figure stood there.

"Elena…?" I whispered. The figure moved towards me, pausing in a patch of moonlight. It was Elena, her skin ghostly pale and slicked with sweat. Her hair and clothes were damp, sticking to her slender frame. Like this I could see just how much weight she'd lost. She was practically skin and bones. It saddened me to see her this way.

"Are you okay?" I asked quietly. She shook her head "bad dreams?" she nodded. I pulled back my bed covers, making space for her. She slid in next to me, her body wrapping around mine yet still retaining her distance. I wanted to take her hand, hold her close, comfort her but I knew what would happen if I did.

This night time arrangement had become a regular thing. During the day, Elena was lost. She would walk around, her eyes blank. She only spoke when we pushed her and if we tried to find out what had happened to her when she was with Klaus, she would shut down. She stayed away from us and if anybody accidentally touched her, she would run away, scream, cry. But at night she would seek me out, wanting comfort but being unable to take it from me. I wanted to help her. But I didn't know how. I would watch her and find myself praying that I'd wake up one day and she'd be back to normal.

But sometimes I feared she never would be. And it would be all my fault. I'd made her this person.

Elena's PoV

I sat on the grass outside, letting the cool breeze toy with my hair. I closed my eyes and forcibly blanked my mind. I rested my hands on the damp ground and took deep breaths, trying to instil some kind of peace.

"Mind if I join you?" said a quiet voice behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Gabrielle walking towards me. I shrugged in response. She sat next to me. I wondered what was on her mind.

"Elena…how much longer are you going to do this?" she asked. I gave her a confused look. She sighed "I mean, pretending to be okay. Pretending that you're not in pain. I'm not an idiot, neither are the others. We can see you're not moving on. Half the time you're not even there. You're just…vacant Elena" I wrapped my arms around my legs, not wanting to talk about this. Gabrielle's face became sympathetic.

"Elena, I definitely don't know everything and I'm not going to pretend that I know exactly how you feel but I do have a fair idea of what you're going through. Remember, Klaus held me with compulsion too. Admittedly, he never made my love him but he made me do things that I will never forget no matter how hard I try. But…you can't let one thing ruin your life Elena. At some point you have to make a choice. Do you want to live your life…I mean, really live it the way you deserve to? Or are you going to let Klaus win, let him haunt you forever? In which case…you'd be better off dead. It's your choice" she walked off. I watched her go. Her words stayed with me. By doing this, I was letting Klaus win. And that meant my life was worthless. She was right. I had to make a choice.

I got up and walked silently into the house. No one noticed me. I went to my room and fetched my diary (Gabrielle and Bonnie had found it in a box after the fire. It was virtually untouched) I headed back downstairs, walking to the kitchen. I picked up a box of matches. I went back into the garden and sat down in my old spot. I opened my diary to the first Klaus-centric entry. I lit a match and dropped it onto the book. Fire had ended my enslavement, it seemed appropriate that fire cleansed the memory. I watched coldly as the book burned to ashes. When it was gone, I put out the flames and buried the remains.

Then I got up and went back inside.

I accidentally bumped into Elijah as I was walking. I recoiled instantly.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" apologised Elijah. I took a deep breath and smiled. I loved Elijah and I couldn't let Klaus's memory stop me from getting close to him.

"Elijah, it's fine" I took his hand and squeezed. He stared in surprise.

"Elena?" There was an unspoken question between us. I placed my palm on his cheek.

"Yes. I'm trying to go back. It'll be hard but I won't let him stop me living my life" I told him. Slowly, hesitantly, I brought my lips to his. I was just going to have to take each day at a time.

*****After*****

And that's exactly what I did. I got my life back. I still had nightmares occasionally but I was happy. And so were the people around me. Three months after the incident with Klaus, this is where we stood.

Rose: Left Elijah's employment and went on holiday with her friend Slater, to try and get rid of the memory of Trevor's betrayal.

Gabrielle: moved in with me and Elijah. Began to date Stefan. They are very much in love.

Bonnie: eventually went on a date with Jeremy. She found it too awkward and never went out with him again. She is currently living with a group of witches, learning how to use her powers.

Jeremy: met a vampire girl called Anna. She's sweet. I'm glad he's got someone.

Caroline: Announced a month ago that she's pregnant. The father is still to be determined. Her mother did not take the news well and refused to talk to her. She moved in with me and Elijah as well.

Stefan: moved on, accepted my choice at last. He's very happy with Gabrielle.

Damon: Still single, still causing havoc.

Katherine: Was one of the three people to escape the fire. We're not sure how but we got a letter from her.

Jenna: Got engaged to my history teacher.

And me? Elijah and I are happily progressing in our relationship. I am working with Gabrielle to sort out my addled brain. I am slowly becoming the person I once was.

**A/N: it's over. An alternate ending will be posted with 'of dreams and reality'. My next new story will be: Wolf Bride, a Tyler/Elena, Mason/Elena fic.**


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